BEST AEC FIRM 2011: MHTN Architects

At 65 employees, MHTN Architects is one of the largest architecture firms in Utah, which it has been serving from its base in Salt Lake City since 1923. That devotion to service applies not only to the many public and private buildings it has designed throughout the Beehive State, but also to the firm's commitment to the social well-being of the people of Utah.

For example, MHTN worked with the Salt Lake CAP Head Start Program in leading the design and construction of two apartment units for a Head Start classroom serving the city's immigrant population. More recently, MHTN volunteers replaced the landscaping at the Safe Harbor Crisis Center, a women and children's shelter in Kaysville. The firm has outreach programs with Habitat for Humanity, the LDS Church Humanitarian Foundation, Rotary International, Envision Utah, and Kiwanis-Felt Recreation Center.

At the professional level, MHTN gives its employees paid staff time to serve on numerous AIA Utah committees. The firm's CEO, Dennis H. Cecchini, AIA, is president-elect of AIA Utah.

MHTN has also made its mark as a leader in sustainability. It was the first company headquartered in the state to join the U.S. EPA Climate Leaders program, and it was an active participant in Utah's 2010 Clear the Air Challenge, to reduce GHG emissions. The firm recently remodeled its corporate office to LEED-CI Gold standards, the first for any Utah-based design firm.

BEST AEC FIRMS TO WORK FOR 2011 WINNERS
Chapman Construction/Design
EYP Architecture & Engineering
Gensler
HMC Architects
MHTN Architects

The firm is an AIA/CES provider whose professional development program is built around nine core values: design, respect, client service, empowerment, accountability, teamwork, environmental responsibility, technical expertise, and community service.

Look for a more extensive report on MHTN in an upcoming issue of BD+C.