MKSK is an American planning, urban design, and

landscape architecture Landscape architecture is the design of outdoor areas, landmarks, and structures to achieve environmental, social-behavioural, or aesthetic outcomes. It involves the systematic design and general engineering of various structures for constructio ...

firm. The company is headquartered in

Columbus, Ohio Columbus (, ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities in Ohio, most populous city of the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 United States census, 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the List of United States ...

, founded in 1990. The firm is known for its work reshaping Central Ohio, particularly downtown Columbus. MKSK is an employee-owned practice with a network of twelve metropolitan studios in Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, New York, and the District of Columbia.

Attributes

The company's designs aim to create pedestrian-friendly designs, including reconnecting neighborhoods divided by highways. When working with communities or organizations, MKSK works to understand challenges associated with the project while capitalizing on opportunities that have the potential to benefit the community. Some of the ways the company achieves this is through surveys and research to understand previous initiatives. The company has been instrumental in envisioning Columbus' and other cities urban planning initiatives to accommodate for growth and community-focused public spaces. In 2000, MKSK created masterplan for the

Arena District The Arena District is a Mixed-use development, mixed-use planned development and neighborhood in Columbus, Ohio. The site was developed through a partnership between Nationwide Realty Investors, Ltd. (a subsidiary of Nationwide Mutual Insurance ...

and since then have master planned or designed a majority of projects that have transformed downtown Columbus. Their work has included

Capitol Square Capitol Square is a public square in Downtown Columbus, Ohio. The square includes the Ohio Statehouse, its Capitol Grounds, as well as the buildings and features surrounding the square. The Capitol Grounds are surrounded to the north and west ...

, the

Discovery District The Discovery District is one of the commercial districts in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It has a high concentration of hospitals and research institutions, particularly those related to biotechnology. The district is roughly bounded by ...

Scioto Audubon Metro Park Scioto Audubon Metro Park is a public park and nature preserve in Columbus, Ohio. The park is managed by the Columbus and Franklin County Metro Parks and is part of the Scioto Mile network of parks and trails around Downtown Columbus. The park ...

, and Quarry Trails Metro Park.

History

MKSK was founded in 2011, from a merger between MSI Design and Kinzelman Kline Gossman (KKG), both of which were founded in 1990. The merger happened after the firms won a commission together at the Ohio State University and decided they could be stronger together than as competition. In 2019, the company reorganized its ownership from being held between ten partners into an

employee stock ownership plan Employee stock ownership, or employee share ownership, is where a company's employees own shares in that company (or in the parent company of a group of companies). US employees typically acquire shares through a share option plan. In the UK, Emp ...

(ESOP), making its employees the owners of the company. CEO Brian Kinzelman described the change as driven by the desire to attract and retain employees through a sense of comradery. In 2022, Kinzelman was replaced as CEO by Eric Lucas, a principal at the firm. Prior to becoming CEO, Lucas had started firm offices in Indianapolis and Lafayette, Indiana.

Designs

Since about 2000, the firm or its predecessors have designed or created master plans for nearly every public space in downtown Columbus.

Columbus

* Master plan for the

, including the new Crew Stadium * Grandview Yard master plan and First Avenue Park * The

Scioto Mile The Scioto Mile is a collection of parks and trails along both banks of the Scioto River in Columbus, Ohio Columbus (, ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities in Ohio, most populous city of the U.S. state ...

Dorrian Green Dorrian Green is a park by the Franklinton (Columbus, Ohio), Franklinton neighborhood of Columbus, Ohio. The park is part of the Scioto Mile network of parks and trails around Downtown Columbus (Ohio), downtown Columbus. Dorrian Green neighbors ...

park **

Genoa Park Genoa Park is a urban park along the west bank of the Scioto River in Columbus, Ohio, United States. The park, located between Broad and Rich Streets as part of the Scioto Mile park grouping, is named after Genoa, the birthplace of Christopher ...

McFerson Commons McFerson Commons, originally Arena Park, is a park in Columbus, Ohio's Arena District neighborhood. The focal point of the park is the Union Station arch, salvaged before the demolition of Columbus's Union Station (Columbus, Ohio), Union Statio ...

North Bank Park North Bank Park is an park in downtown Columbus, Ohio, United States. The park includes a work of art, '' Flowing Kiss'', installed in 2013. History Ground broke on July 24, 2003, and the park was dedicated on July 16, 2005. Construction cost ...

and Grange Insurance Audubon Center **

Scioto Mile Promenade The Scioto Mile Promenade, also known simply as the Promenade, is a public park and promenade in downtown Columbus, Ohio. The park is part of the Scioto Mile network of parks and trails around the city's downtown area, and has a riverwalk stret ...

* Scioto Peninsula plan * Twelve bridge caps over I-70 and I-71 surrounding Downtown Columbus * Entryways around the city's Main Library and

Columbus Museum of Art The Columbus Museum of Art (CMA) is an art museum in downtown Columbus, Ohio. Formed in 1878 as the Columbus Gallery of Fine Arts (its name until 1978), it was the first art museum to register its charter with the state of Ohio. The museum collec ...

* Livingston Park and green space at

Nationwide Children's Hospital Nationwide Children's Hospital (formerly Columbus Children's Hospital) is a nationally ranked pediatric acute care teaching hospital located in the Southern Orchards neighborhood of Columbus, Ohio. The hospital has 673 pediatric beds and is aff ...

* Oval at the

James Cancer Hospital The Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (commonly shortened to just The James) is part of The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and is one of the National Cancer Institute's Comprehensive Cancer ...

streetscape design *

streetscape design * Central quad at the

Columbus College of Art & Design Columbus College of Art & Design (CCAD) is a private art school in Columbus, Ohio. It was founded in 1879 as the Columbus Art School and is one of the oldest private art and design colleges in the United States. Located in downtown Columbus, C ...

* Quarry Trails Metro Park * Urban plan for the 15+High development in the University District * City of Columbus municipal campus master plan * Huntington Park * Franklin County Courthouse and Government Center grounds * Burnham Square park

Other cities

* Riverside Crossing Park in

Dublin, Ohio Dublin is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. A suburb of Columbus, Ohio, Columbus, it falls within the jurisdictions of Franklin County, Ohio, Franklin, Delaware County, Ohio, Delaware, Union County, Ohio, Union, and Madison County, Ohio, Madison ...

* Rose Run Park in

New Albany, Ohio New Albany is a City (United States), city in the U.S. state of Ohio. It is located northeast of the state capital of Columbus, Ohio, Columbus. Most of the city is located in Franklin County, Ohio, Franklin County and a small portion extends i ...

* Rose Music Center in

Dayton, Ohio Dayton () is a city in Montgomery County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of cities in Ohio, sixth-most populous city in Ohio, with a population of 137,644 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The Dayton metro ...

Awards

* 2015 OCASLA Honor Award, Bike New Albany Plan, New Albany, Ohio * 2022 OCASLA Honor Award, Buckeye Lake Pier Design & North Shore State Park Redevelopment Plan, Buckeye Lake, Ohio * 2022 Award of Excellence, Rose Run Park Phase 1, New Albany, Ohio * 2021 APA-KY Special Merit Award for Outstanding Neighborhood Plan, Butchertown, Phoenix & NuLu Neighborhood Plan. Louisville, Kentucky * 2022 APA-IN Hoosier Planning Award Honorable Mention for Outstanding Economic Development, Castleton Strategic Revitalization Plan, Indianapolis, Indiana * 2018 National Planning Achievement Award for Best Practice-Silver, City of Columbus Green Business and Urban Agriculture Strategic Plan/Columbus & Franklin County Local Food Action Plan/The City-County Joint Local Food Team, Columbus, Ohio * 2017 APA Ohio Planning Award for a Best Practice, City of Columbus Green Business and Urban Agriculture Strategic Plan/Columbus & Franklin County Local Food Action Plan/The City-County Joint Local Food Team, Columbus, Ohio * 2017 OCASLA Honor Award, Communications & Research, City of Columbus Green Business and Urban Agriculture Strategic Plan/Columbus & Franklin County Local Food Action Plan/The City-County Joint Local Food Team, Columbus, Ohio * 2010 OCASLA Honor Award, Cheapside Park Entertainment District and Pavilion, Lexington, Kentucky

References

External links

*{{Official website, https://www.mkskstudios.com/ Architects from Columbus, Ohio Architecture firms based in Ohio 2011 establishments in Ohio 21st-century American architects Landscape architecture organizations Brewery District