MHTN Architects A Century of Innovation and Moving Forward MHTN Architects is a Salt Lake-based design firm with a long and storied history. Unlike so many professional firms that died after the first and second generation of leaders, MHTN has been very successful in transitioning leadership and adapting to changes in the market and technology over its 101-year history. It is a flourishing firm with close to 100 employees and a broad, diverse portfolio of projects and buildings that has managed to thrive and weather difficult times. History Founder Raymond Ashton, a Salt Lake native, worked for his family’s building firm prior to moving to Chicago in 1916, where he worked as a drafter and later joined the architecture department of Armour & Company while attending Atelier Pucky and the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts in the evenings. Ashton returned to Salt Lake City in 1919 and had a brief partnership with Francis D. Rutherford. When that dissolved, he practiced as a sole proprietor. In 1923, he formed a new partnership with Raymond Evans. Evans began practicing architecture at the age of 17, working and learning from several firms, including Cannon & Fetzer and the Villadsen Brothers. Over the next two decades, Ashton & Evans established a reputation for its comprehensive design capabilities and ability to provide architectural services on large projects, including the Reconstruction of the Great Saltair Pavilion and Salt Lake’s original VA Hospital in the Avenues. As the firm matured, they added partners who reflected their shared beliefs in good design, innovation and the desire to adapt to changing markets and developing technology. These principal architects, who included B.E. Brazier, Fred Montmorency, David Hayes and Elden Talbot, had complementary skills: big personalities who were great at selling firms, balanced by more internally focused principals who did the work and ran the business. Peggy McDonough Jan, AIA, MHTN’s current president, believes the way they chose people has been foundational: “Ashton was an extrovert; Evans, an introvert. From what we can learn about him, Ashton did not lead with a ‘my way or the highway’ style. He was gregarious and known for his likeability, respect and humility/openness. He stretched himself and was creative without wielding a towering ego. There was a well-balanced combination of different personality types, and I think that balance has carried through every generation.” Transitions, Successions and Culture Fred Montmorency was a big personality who attracted clients and marketed projects; he was buttressed by David Hayes and Elden Talbot (the original MHT), who paid attention to the product and the business. “There has been a drive for innovation and good design regardless of the decade. And, along with the talent comes people who really care about the design, the environment and giving the community what they have to give. Succession planning starts early. It is about the entire cross-section. It is generational — telling those important things that we have to pass down.” And what are those things? McDonough Jan says it is a hunger for innovation, a sense of accountability and a willingness to adapt. It is also measured fearlessness: checking our gut, being bold and taking measured risks. Scott Later, an MHTN principal, added, “Consistent focus on intentional design. Paying attention.” He said that includes ego-free design because good ideas can come from anywhere — across all industries. Significantly, they have an incredibly diverse offering of services and sectors. “People do what they are passionate about. We haven’t sacrificed who we are in the interest of feeding the bottom line.” That said, McDonough Jan added, “We do take small projects to build relationships. For all their projects, we work consciously to bring design language into our teams and our projects, to be self-aware of why we are designing and what the design story is.” Ryan Wallace, the director of Urban Design, noted that broader trends tend to impact the project, and there is no one preconceived notion. It’s the site, the neighborhood, curiosity and wanting to understand the bigger picture. And, McDonough Jan said, “We are very conscious of what we are recommending to our clients, how we are elevating Raymond Ashton Raymond Evans 23
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTg3NDExNQ==