Get to Know Principal Margaret Butler

Margaret Butler, AIA, LEED AP has practiced architecture for over 30 years, working for both large and small firms as well as owning her own architectural practice. She’s been with MHM since 2015, and became a Principal of the firm in 2020. As an award-winning and published designer, Margaret leads through a studio-driven and collaborative approach to design and mentorship. Her friendly approach is focused on delivering evidence-based design strategies to build success for the firm’s clients and their organizations. Margaret’s design expertise covers a wide range of project types of varying size and complexity. A large part of her recent focus has been geared toward a robust portfolio of multi-family housing and K-12 educational projects.

Margaret serves as the head of the firm’s Culture Committee, leading the charge of maintaining an open and collaborative office environment. She’s also passionate about creating and maintaining a high level of thoughtfulness and rigor in MHM’s design process through firm-wide reviews. A graduate of the University of Tennessee College of Architecture and Design, she remains engaged on the Board of Advisers. She’s passionate about serving her community through involvement in organizations including the YWCA and the Cancer Support Community.

Q: Where did you grow up?

A: I grew up in Andersonville, TN.

Q: How did you choose Architecture as your profession?

A: In high school I tried to figure out a career that would marry my love of art, math and science and I thought architecture might fit the bill. Gladly it did. I think growing up enjoying Norris Dam and the park had an influence on me as I’ve always regarded it as an outstanding structure that made a tremendous impact in our region.

Q: What has been your favorite project and why?

A: Affordable housing projects I have worked on throughout my career have been incredibly meaningful as they can provide a transformative pride in community. I’m currently working on several projects with Murfreesboro Housing Authority. It has been exceedingly rewarding to engage with residents and those in the community to provide new housing which respects the community’s fabric and history while providing sustainable infrastructure and new public parks.

Early in my career, while at Tuck Hinton Architects, it was a privilege to be on the team planning the State’s Bicentennial Capital Mall sited just north of our state capital building in Nashville. It was an honor to work with architects, planners and landscape architects from across the state to define and design a park commemorating our state’s bicentennial which would represent the diversity, accomplishments and unique characteristics of Tennessee.

A third favorite is a very different scale. It was the rehabilitation of cantilever barn for the Children’s Defense Fund’s Langston Hughes Library in collaboration with Maya Lin Studio. A very small and exacting project, it combined my love of modern design and detail with my personal roots in East Tennessee. It was an amazing experience to collaborate with a world-renowned artist/architect on a project so close to my home. 

Q: What has been your biggest challenge in your professional career?

A: The biggest challenge I’ve faced is balancing priorities. My family has always been my number one priority, but dedication to my work and the community has been vitally important to me as well. It’s certainly not a unique challenge as we all seek balance in our life and career, but it’s not the same for every person and that’s okay. I don’t have any answers, but I’ve just tried to be “all in” whether at work, home or volunteering and there have been some late nights and early mornings through the years! I’m very grateful for all the relationships and opportunities I’ve had for the last 35 years.

Q: What advice would you give to young professionals entering the field?

A: Challenge yourself and others. Strive to surround yourself and learn from those seeking excellence in architecture. Figure out what your special talents are, hone them, and position yourself to become a leader in your firm and profession. Excelling with your own talents lifts those around you and provides a foundation to a fulfilling career.

MHM Started Schematic Design for the University of Tennessee’s New Croley Nursing Building.

For some time, the nation’s demand for registered and advanced practice nurses has been growing at a fast pace, leading to a shortage that was exacerbated by COVID-19. To meet the growing demand for nurses, the new building for College of Nursing will provide students and faculty with an experiential learning environment that will help to support the growing college.

MHM, along with design partner Ayers Saint Gross started the Schematic Design process with UT College of Nursing. The blocking and stacking exercise engaged users and gathered valuable input from key stakeholders in the early design phase. We are so excited to help UT Nursing envision the new home for their college!

Get to Know Principal Li Wang

Li Wang is an exceptional project manager and effective consensus builder who keeps the entire project team engaged. Since joining MHM in 2007, Li has played a critical role in expanding the firm's portfolio of Higher Education and Science & Technology projects. She brings over 22 years of architectural experience in government, higher education, industrial and research & development sectors. Within the last 15 years, Li has led and managed over $450 million in construction costs for State owned and Federal owned projects. Enthusiastic about Design in Context and Place-Making design approaches, Li focuses on strengthening campus spaces as places that stimulate learning and promote collaboration.

In addition to her role as a Principal, Li serves as the firm’s Project Management Committee Chair.  She is an active LEED BD+C professional who supports the sustainable design culture and its integration into the design process. Li is also actively involved with the State AIA’s Building Information Modeling Committee and promotes the integration of BIM into everyday professional practice. Li currently serves as a member of the University of Tennessee Chancellor's Associates and is in the class of 2022 Leadership Knoxville Flagship Program.

Q: Where did you grow up?

A: Chengdu, China

Q: How did you choose Architecture as your profession?

A: When I was a kid, I loved to draw. Forms and colors were things that I enjoyed the most, and I could easily spend all day exploring them.

The high school I attended was a Magnet School, which held a top STEM track curriculum. I was among the top tier students in my class, so I was expected to be on track to study STEM majors in college. However, deep in my heart, I knew I was very skeptical about how much I would really enjoy the math and science fields. Though, don’t get me wrong, I love and admire math and science :-).

My homeroom teacher discovered my concerns and had several conversations with me about a path in design and Architecture. With her guidance, I found my path and decided to pursue Architecture.  I thought that would allow me to continue exploring my passion in design.

Q: What has been your favorite project and why?

A: My favorite project is the Mossman Science Laboratory Building at the University of Tennessee.

Not only was the project managed successfully to meet the project schedule and delivered under budget, the project allowed me to truly appreciate the power of Place-making and the profound impact the built-environment can bring to students and campus life.

During the facade study / research, we discovered several hidden gems on campus that speak about the spirit of Gothic Architecture, such as the east façade of Hoskins Library, right next to the Mossman building. Using the Architecture to create a dialogue between old and new under the larger campus context has been a meaningful journey to me.

Through the Mossman building journey, I have experienced and witnessed the major growth and the billion-dollar construction era on the University of Tennessee’s Knoxville flagship campus. It is great to see UTK’s growth under a unifying plan. I am truly honored to play a small part as an architect in helping to realize this thoughtful plan. 

Q: What has been your biggest challenge in your professional career?

A: Despite the challenges presented with being a female minority architect, the biggest challenge in my professional career is dealing with changes the Pandemic has brought. The pandemic has changed how we work, how we live and how we think.

Common challenges that most companies are experiencing hit us too. It made me think differently, search deeper, explore options. How can my partners and I build a stronger and more resilient company, drawing strengths from each other and seeking resources from the community? How do I truly listen to others, not just hear? How do we set reasonable goals and instill accountabilities? How can we embrace the challenges and create opportunities from them?

I realize we don’t have all the answers today, but with an open mind, gratitude to others and determination, we have together made the company more resilient and sustainable and will continue to do so.

I learned a quote from my Leadership Knoxville classmate that helps build inner strength and encourages me to think differently about coping with the challenges of the Pandemic.

“A sign of a good leader is not how many followers you have, but how many leaders you create”. - Mahatma Gandhi.

Q: What advice would you give to young professionals entering the field?

A: This question made me smile.

Architecture is such an interesting profession.  Eighty Percent of what we do, we were not taught in school. Our profession requires passion in design, experience in technical details, skills in project management, strength in marketing and the love for our communities. This is a fascinating profession that holds a wide variety of opportunities to realize your potentials.

My advice for young professionals entering the field is this:

Open your eyes and ears, do good work, be a sponge, ask questions, explore. Get involved with the communities. Listen to those under-represented voices. Build relationships.

Seek and reach, you will be surprised what will fall into your basket. :-)

MHM is honored to have received two awards at this year’s AIA East Tennessee Design Awards. Webb School of Knoxville Middle Innovation Center received an Honor award. The PreK-12 School in collaboration with Johnson & Galyon Construction consisted of 14,500 SF of renovations and additions.  The design focused on creating state of the art educational facilities to advance Webb School of Knoxville’s forward reaching educational pedagogies.

Additionally, The University of Tennessee Student Union, designed as a joint venture with BMa and constructed by Christman Construction, was honored with a Merit Award.  The 395,000 SF building which houses the largest auditorium on campus, meeting spaces and ballroom, offices, recreation, retail, and dining facilities, among other spaces, created a new heart of campus.

MHM Announces 2021 Team Promotions

MHM is pleased to announce the 2021 promotions of 11 team members who have shown exemplary leadership within our firm and community. MHM recognizes the invaluable dedication of these individuals to the success of our firm. Over their time here, each of these talented individuals have dedicated their unique gifts to the firm mentoring employees and clients alike through the design process. With COVID-19 we saw all these individuals step up to help our team navigate the situation and continue to provide high quality services. Their leadership, dedication and hard work represent MHM’s core values and mission to create beautiful, functional, and sustainable architecture that makes each place better than before.

Aaron Miller, AIA, CSI has been promoted to Associate Principal. He has over 20 years of experience working in the architecture and construction industry. He is team player with excellent leadership, communication, and organizational skills and strives to exceed client expectations on every project he touches. Aaron finds himself often giving back to the community and is currently serving on the board of the Construction Specification Institute (CSI).

Jennifer Bradley, AIA has been promoted to Senior Associate. As a project architect with 10 years of experience at MHM, she has recently taken on the Role as MHM’s new Technical Coordinator.  An invaluable asset, Jennifer collaborates with all project teams to maintain consistent firm standards and a high level of quality across all projects and ensures that milestones concerning code compliance, sustainability goals, technical design, and final submission meet MHM’s standards.

Drew Newman, AIA, LEED AP has been promoted to Senior Associate. Joining MHM in 2018, with project experience in large commercial, civic, healthcare and higher education, Andrew has developed a critical eye for detail and a passion for seeking out new trends in design & technology. He is a leader in MHM’s computer-based design, presentation and delivery, recently heading the development and roll-out of updated documentation and BIM standards. 

Kathryn Greer, AIA has been promoted to Senior Associate. With MHM since 2017, she excels in project management with an unyielding attention to detail, thoroughness in communications, exceptional technical and construction knowledge. A member of the 2020 Knoxville 40 under 40 class, Kathryn is a leader in the East TN design community, donating her time to several organizations, including the AIA ETN Board of Directors.

Lauren Bush, AIA has been promoted to Senior Associate. Lauren has been with MHM since 2016 and as a Project Manager, excels at translating a project’s goals into beautifully designed, well-coordinated solutions. Passionate about the community, Lauren consistently pursues involvement outside the firm, including serving on the board of Keep Knoxville Beautiful.

Steven Whitmore, AIA has been promoted to Associate. Steven has been with MHM since 2016. As a recipient of MHM’s inaugural research grant, Steven is fostering innovation and learning within our firm and community, developing potential architectural responses to climate change effects for at-risk East TN communities. His dedication to finding sustainable solutions is continued through his involvement on MHM’s sustainability team, helping lead the commitment to the 2030 Challenge.

Bud Archer, AIA has been promoted to Associate. With MHM since 2016, he excels in project design and management, having worked on projects of all scales and types. As a leader in document and quality control standards, he has recently helped head the development and roll-out of updated documentation and BIM standards. Bud also helps lead our research initiatives as a recipient of a inaugural grant program, focusing on climate change for at-risk East TN communities.

Adam Buchanan, AIA has been promoted to Associate.   As part of our design team since 2016, Adam has worked on a diverse portfolio of projects. He is dedicated to fostering the development of sustainable design processes to meet the 2030 Challenge, chairing the MHM sustainability committee.  He is also collaborating with our research team, as part of MHM’s inaugural research grant program, to develop architectural responses to climate change effects for at-risk East TN communities. 

Taylor Odom, NCIDQ has been promoted to Associate. Taylor Odom has been with MHM since 2016 and is a skilled and creative interior designer who has provided Interior Design services for many high profile projects, including UTK’s New Student Union, Zeanah Engineering Complex, Mossman Science Laboratory, and the City of Knoxville Public Safety Complex. Along with her digital graphics and visual representation skills, Taylor artfully conveys her designs to clients and builds consensus effectively.  

Alli Montgomery, AIA has been promoted to Associate. Alli joined MHM in 2017, and has over 5 years of professional experience in all phases of design on a variety of projects, with a focus on K-12 education. Alli rounds out her professional service by serving on the AIA State of Tennessee and AIA East Tennessee Board of Directors and is the committee chair for Emerging Professionals.  She is also on the East Tennessee Design Center Board and recently chaired the 2021 East Tennessee Design Center Gala.

Lauren Lucchesi, IIDA, LEED AP has been promoted to Associate. Lauren is a Senior Interior Designer and has fifteen years of professional experience working on all aspects of a project. Lauren has been able to work on a variety of project types from high-end commercial and residential to non-profits, which has given her a true understanding of how to listen and translate ideas into experiences while working within budget and time constraints.  In addition to her dedication to design, her mentorship of younger interiors staff has been invaluable to the success of our interior design program.

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The MHM team is guided by an approach to the delivery of planning and design services that has been developed over the 55-year span of its practice. MHM’s collaborative effort between the design team and the client is paramount to the success of a project. The MHM approach is based upon our belief in the clarity of process, commitment to comprehensive documentation, and dedication to taking responsibility for the project from beginning to end. This design process, balanced by research, observation, and introspection, yields the best results when conducted through work sessions. MHM is dedicated to enhancing a client’s culture, image, and brand while balancing a project’s complex parameters. For more information, visit .