Made to Design

When people describe their jobs as fun, something is going right. At MSKTD & Associates Inc., it appears they are not just doing their jobs, but thriving—even though it’s not easy building zoo pavilions, remodeling convention centers or designing state-of-the-art yogurt production facilities. 

MSKTD started in 1978 with three architects; the Fort Wayne Museum of Art job in 1979 put it on the map. From there, the firm grew, adding two engineers and landing a huge Magnavox project. “Actually we didn’t care about getting bigger, we just hired folks as the work load grew,” says Jim Kratzat, architect, president and treasurer. The next decade led to MSKTD’s focus on four architectural specialties: healthcare, higher education, advanced manufacturing and civic building projects. 

Today, MSKTD has over 70 employees between its Fort Wayne and Indianapolis offices. It has specialists in architecture, mechanical, interior design, electrical, structural and civil engineering. Projects vary from large scale, such as the Ash Brokerage building, to small office renovations. Sustainable design, LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified projects and ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliance is a given at MSKTD. “Good design always makes best use of materials and environments such as using recyclable materials and efficient energy systems,” says Kratzat. 

Kratzat has been overseeing the company since 2005. His employee-focus is part of the formula for fun at MSKTD. “I think about how to communicate that people are important,” says Kratzat. “So I hand out paychecks each month and thank our people for working here.” An MSKTD family day recently took place at the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo, where the firm has completed many projects including the newly-renovated Australian Adventure. 

A passion for design drives Kratzat’s leadership, too. “It’s fun to get to know all about a company we serve like Sweetwater or Franklin Electric and to understand on a conceptual level what a building should be,” says Kratzat, showcasing some of that Ball State Architectural School philosophy he loves so much. 

As does Jerry Noble, architect and fellow Ball State alumnus. Orchestrating multi-million dollar projects, Noble has worked with the Memorial Coliseum for 30 years. “The Coliseum is like the recreation room of the Fort Wayne community,” says Noble, “It’s been a pleasure to be a part of the decades of renovation and expansion.”

Noble’s team also updated the Grand Wayne Center in 2001. It was a hidden gem with its old box-like brick front. Now it’s a publicly visible, attractive activity center. 

The new Sweetwater building is another community asset Noble’s team designed. “I enjoy the relationship with the owners,” says Noble. “They come to us with a problem. We want to solve the problem and put the icing on the cake, so to speak.”  Client satisfaction gives him joy.  

Gary Voirol, vice president and secretary, heads up MSKTD’s higher education group. As a registered architect, designing university buildings is his idea of fun; Ball State’s Letterman building and Ivy Tech’s student life renovation both achieved LEED silver certification from the USGBC (United States Green Building Council). Indiana University’s Spruce Hall Residence Center earned LEED gold certification.

“It’s rewarding to work with peers in the academic environment,” says Voirol. MSKTD recently designed the new 700-bed residence North Hall on the Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis campus. “A university is a mini city,” says Voirol. “I enjoy thinking about the whole design.”

With the Edy’s^® Ice Cream Wells Street facility in 1985, advanced manufacturing design began at MSKTD. George Bachnivsky was hired as a consultant and eventually stuck around. “The Edy’s plant has grown from a two million to 78 million gallon operation in 30 years,” says Bachnivsky, principal-in-charge. Bachnivsky is currently a National Council of Architectural Registration Boards member and director of MSKTD’s food processing and advanced manufacturing group/vice president of MSKTD. 

His team does design concepts, code studies for compliance and specializes in hygienic design. For Zimmer, it built several orthopedic facilities in the U.S., Ireland and Switzerland. Its one million square foot Chobani^® factory won 2012 Food Plant of the Year and Kroger’s Mountain Dairy aseptic dairy facility won 2015 Dairy Plant of the Year. Bachnivsky’s real love, however, is historical preservation projects. He’s designed renovations for the Allen County Courthouse and the Embassy Theatre. 

As a top architectural, engineering and interior design firm, MSKTD does prolific work in Fort Wayne, across the country and around the world. In spite of the pressures and problem solving required, the staff at MSKTD is still having fun. Energy and productivity abound when people are doing what they were designed to do.

Comments