Michael Winstanley, AIA, loves to design things. Big things, little things, complicated things, green things, blue things. That’s why he established the office as a multidisciplined (architecture, planning and interiors) design studio that tackles all sorts of projects. Big projects, little projects, complicated projects. He even designed our office in Old Town Alexandria. The open office environment is absolutely a catalyst for our creative process; and clients love coming here, seeing all the models, and interacting with our staff. We refuse to let him design our clothes too!
Michael is both an architect and planner and thrives in his true element when projects have more than one discipline – either planning, architecture or interiors. Michael is also a very creative problem-solver who understands that clients require solutions that involve more than aesthetics or current trends. In the past 30 years, Michael has earned numerous accolades from his peers that include nine design awards from the American Institute of Architects, four awards from the American Planning Association and two awards from the American Society of Landscape Architects.
One of those award-winning architecture projects is 1401 New York Avenue, NW, in Washington, DC, one of the more inventive projects where the entire exterior skin was replaced with a new modern look in a fully occupied building and not a single desk was moved during construction.
Another notable architecture assignment is the The Institute of Genomic Research where Michael combined the owner’s love and interest in Roycroft architecture with a high tech bio-genetic facility, a building that Washington Post critic Benjamin Forgey praised for its “inventiveness and richness.”
His planning experience is illustrated by equally notable assignments such as the Memorials and Museums Master Plan for Washington, DC, where he led the planning effort to re-establish and organize over 400 available sites for future memorials and museums. And most recently, he has been honored with preserving and reinvigorating Yale Architecture alum James Gamble Rogers’ master plan for the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. The master plan includes the restoration of the Olmsted Brothers’ landscape plan.
Michael started his career in New York and for 15 years he worked with international design firms before relocating to Washington, DC, in 1998. He has lectured and served as guest critic at Harvard University and Rhode Island School of Design among others, and held the post of Visiting Associate Professor at the University of Buffalo. He is surprisingly accessible to all clients except every four years during the World Cup in soccer. We even had to install a TV in the studio so we could find him during the competition.
Michael never sees the trees, he only sees the forests.
Education
Master of Architecture
Yale University
Bachelor of Arts/Environmental Science
University of Vermont
Registrations and Affiliations
Registered Architect – Multiple States
NCARB Certified
American Institute of Architects (AIA)
Mike Balaban
Managing Director
Mike Balaban dreamed of being an architect as a kid in Philadelphia, and with conviction, he set off to obtain his degree, his license and a job designing buildings. Soon, while walking in the proverbial yellow wood, Mike took the road not taken and ended up with an MBA and the head of a major development organization for twenty years. Full Bio
Leejung Hong LEED AP
Principal
Leejung Hong LEED AP tackles both architecture and planning assignments with a vengeance. Clients love her organizational skills and have basically just resigned themselves to do what she says.
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Michael Winstanley AIA
Design Director
Michael Winstanley AIA leads the office creatively. He has won numerous design awards in architecture interiors and planning. His work has been widely published. Mr. Winstanley has been responsible for over 20 design awards from professional organizations.
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George Eisenberger AIA LEED AP
Principal
George Eisenberger AIA LEED AP is very knowledgeable of building technology and project management protocols. He leads the technical compliance and quality assurance program for the firm.
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