Info

The firm was founded in 1983 as Catherine Mahan and Associates and had its first home in the Mt. Vernon district of Baltimore City. Working in a two-room studio of an 18th century rowhouse, a small group of women established a solid client base of local architects, engineers and private homeowners. Drawings were stored in the bathtub, and a conference room was available only when the pocket doors between the rooms were closed. The stylized leaf design of the firm logo was drawn from the detailed carvings around the huge fireplace. The firm soon expanded in staff and office space to accommodate larger projects. Significant projects included expansion of the National Aquarium in Baltimore, the planting design for Baltimore's entire 27-mile Light Rail system, and the publishing of a residential project in Southern Living Magazine. With the addition of partner Scott Rykiel in 1992, the office expanded further in staff and client base, prompting a move to larger quarters - this time to a 19th century mill building in the Mount Washington neighborhood. Here, we enjoyed our first on-site parking, our first networked computers, and learned firsthand the challenging lessons of working in a 100-year flood plain. As Mahan Rykiel Associates, Inc., our first international work came into the office with projects in Portugal, Japan, and Mexico. We developed new relationships with nationally recognized architects and engineers, and became design leaders on many multi-disciplinary teams. Expanding once again in 2001, we moved to our current quarters - a Baltimore landmark and home of the former Stieff Silver manufacturing company. Our projects now include campus planning, healthcare facilities, retail centers, retirement communities, spiritual gardens, and transportation design. We have a staff of 29 extremely talented professionals, and the support of state of the art graphic technology. What has changed at Mahan Rykiel Associates over the years has been our numbers - staff, projects, square footage, miles traveled. What has not changed is our commitment to Baltimore City and the spirit behind the company logo - clarity of design, an emphasis on plant material, and attention to detail.