MGLM Architects

We highly recommend MGLM Architects. We live in a two-story open plan urban loft and while we absolutely love the space (and the views), we also wanted a bit of privacy for our large second floor master suite. The master suite was open to the lower level living area and closing it off with a simple door would mean losing the open character of the loft, which we love. After meeting with Mark, he suggested an ingenious solution- divide the suite into two distinct areas: a small semi-open office and a dedicated bedroom area, separated and connected by an atypical 5’-6” wide glass barn door. It was a perfect multifunctional solution. When we have company we slide the barn door closed (still catching the light from the living areas through the frosted glass), and when it’s just us, we keep the door open, retaining the open loft feel. Mark helped us pick the contractor, materials for build, and also helped with the redecorating and furniture planning of our living areas. Mark and MGLM were fast, responsive, and absolutely great to work with and we would love to do another project with them in the future!

I’m happy to recommend MGLM Architects for anyone looking to renovate or build a new house. As a general contractor, I’ve worked with multiple architects on many different types of projects, but when it came to my own home, I trusted Mark and the MGLM team. We decided to work with them because they combine a strong sense of design and historical awareness with an equally strong sense of project management. From the very start of my project, working with them was a great experience. They not only worked with me on narrowing down an overall style for my house, but more importantly, they were able to translate that design into highly technical and detailed drawings from which the building trades had little to no questions on how to build during the construction. I also appreciate how they managed the required municipal paperwork needed in the complicated permit process, and more importantly, how they were actively involved throughout the construction, continually visiting the site and checking in with the trades and myself on any issues that inevitably arise for a highly custom design. I could not be happier with the final outcome of my project and thanks to the MGLM team, I now have a wonderful place to call home for me and my family for years to come.

A home is a place that should be a complete personification of one’s interests, travels, and life. This is where hiring an architect with vision and experience is so helpful. Recently I renovated my bedroom to reflect a tranquil meditative Asian aesthetic. However, I was missing not only storage and display space, but also a main design element that would bring the overall theme of the room together. That’s when I hired Mark Allen Garzon of MGLM Architects. Mark and the firm are specialists when it comes to highly detailed custom residences and I figured I could ask them to design a signature cabinet that was both historically accurate and a focal point in the room. From the first meeting, Mark displayed expertise and knowledge of history, design, and construction. He talked about the Asian aesthetic and educated me using examples from China, Japan, and Korea. More importantly, he reviewed where certain design elements came from, the reasoning of why they are there, and most important to me, which elements would be appropriate for my own personal space. We eventually landed on creating a cabinet that had reference back to a 17th century Japanese royal residence- something I had no idea about until Mark showed me. While there was a bit of a lag time of construction due to the contractor, the whole process from start to finish was eased by Mark’s creativity and expertise. Every time I have visitors, I make sure they see the cabinetry. That’s how happy I am with the work. I would absolutely recommend Mark and MGLM Architects without question!

My husband and I could not be happier with the results we achieved with MGLM and their highly skilled contractors. Our home is in a vintage condo building (1920's) and we were wanting a more modern look for our living/dining area. The ideas they came up with for our home were/are fabulous and I don't believe we could have achieved the look we wanted without their help, guidance, attention to detail and thorough knowledge. The work performed included; replacement of hardwood floor, new windows throughout home, new electrical, complete redesign of mantle and hearth, new paint and wallpaper (grasscloth) throughout upper living area. I'm a picky person and notice the slightest flaw so I tend to be hypercritical of work done in our home. The attention to detail performed by MGLM and their contractors was phenomenal. Many times when I thought the project looked good they always found a way to make it look better (especially our mantle/hearth which required a lot of rock work to be done and blending to make it look natural). Their contractors are highly skilled, show up on time, very pleasant, always cleaned up after themselves (which after 6 months of renovations says a lot!), very knowledgeable about the work they do and are never satisfied till the job is done correctly. (Sorry, the photos I took just don't do justice to the space and would be pointless to post! Just trust me.) Would I hire them again? Absolutely! In a heart beat! They brought ideas and solutions to the table I would not have been able to come up with on my own. We have a wonderful living area where we can sit in front of the fire and relax at the end of the day & enjoy the huge open area that allows for easy entertaining. I am happy with what was accomplished. My husband is very happy with the results and we receive nothing but compliments on how beautiful our home is......all thanks to MGLM.

MGLM Architects transformed not just our house, far more meaningfully they transformed our lives. 1. Their designs are amazing and reflective of our tastes. 2. Their attention to detail is incomparable (we love every room/cabinet/crown moulding that was touched). 3. They shepherded us from initial permitting to punch list walk-throughs and made us feel like we were their most important client. Our newly renovated home is even more lovely than we envisioned, and our lives are more calm and orderly now that everything has its place. Eternally grateful for MGLM Architects for changing not just our house, but our lives for the better.

We hired MGLM for a much-needed and long overdue renovation to our loft in the West Loop this spring and Mark Garzon, Principal Architect, was great to work with throughout the entire process. One of the biggest and most exciting (for me anyway!) components of the overall project was the complete overhaul and revamping of our master bathroom. What previously had been a sorely out of date ca. 1980s-90s facility- complete with the black and white checkered tiling on floors and shower walls from my childhood and a cracked bathroom vanity mirror we never got around to replacing- through Mark's expert guidance & direction and Bloomfield Development's hard work, transformed into a modern, sleek-ified dream bathroom complete with clean lines, slate flooring, subway tiling for the shower and the perfect vanity and mirror set (non-cracked!). The space looks twice as big now. It was also a plus that Mark and my partner happened to share very similar sensibilities with regards to mid-century modern design, lighting and aesthetics. His suggestions for fixtures and paint swatches as well as ideas with regards to the re-configuration for the second floor's build-out were always varied in selection with a unified theme running throughout. I am not the most articulate or well-versed with regards to interior design/architecture but Mark was able to interpret what it was we wanted regardless. Most importantly (for me), timeliness and quick communication between all the team players is a key feature that you should expect to experience if you work with MGLM. At one point, we had to tell Mark to stop emailing us back so quickly with answers to our questions as it was a holiday weekend and he should get out of the office. ;) We hope to work with Mark and his team again one day.

Remodeling and "remastering" a home built in 1937 is a daunting proposition for a new homeowner. That is the place my husband and I found ourselves a year ago, and MGLM Architects provided the resources, vision, and creativity to reenergize R. Harold Zook's cottage on Lake Geneva. This partnership of homeowner and architect was no simple task and entailed a cadre of craftsman, from contractor to engineers, roofing, hardscape, and landscape. Blending the architectural European qualities of "the old" in complement to the amenities and practical function of "the new" takes a delicate and thoughtful eye in order to produce the balance and comfort of a home that is in harmony. Each member of the MGLM team brings their own compassion, energy, expertise, and genius to create a mastery of composition. We have called upon this superb architectural firm for past projects and will do so in the future.

Our lake home was falling apart from the inside out! What began as a remodel quickly expanded to a rebuild when the extent of water damage and leakage was discovered. MGLM worked with us in planning every aspect of our home using their expertise in design to coordinate every detail of the project inside and out. What made the process pleasurable ( or less stressful ) was the ease of working with them, their quick response, and their demeanor when confronted with the inevitable changes which come with the territory. We now have a beautiful, well-built home ( Scherrer Const. Co. in Burlington, WI. ) that, hopefully, our family will enjoy for generations. We definitely hope to use them on a future smaller project.

We have worked with MGLM on a number of projects over the last few years and two things stand out about this firm: 1) MGLM is one highly engaged firm. The principals of the firm are very much hands on and have a true love of their profession. They set very high standards in all aspects of their work 2) Their breadth of knowledge is quite impressive. We have worked with this firm on primarily Traditional Projects but their knowledge and enthusiasm spans a wide range of styles and periods. MGLM is a very engaging group of professionals who are a lot of fun to work with.