MRV Architects

New management is a bit overwhelmed by the workload.

Meet the Team, Featuring Ketki!

Ketki joined MRV earlier this month; she was born and raised in New Delhi, India, where she began her architectural journey and earned a Bachelor of Architecture from the Guru Gobin Singh Indraprastha University. After interning and contributing to a Multidisciplinary Design Residency focused on the Adaptive Reuse of a performance space, she moved to Seattle to complete her Master of Architecture with a Sustainable Systems and Design concentration at the University of Washington. While there, she also completed an Urban Design Certificate.

Outside of the office, Ketki maintains a robust creative life. She is a dedicated writer, having published a poetry book, "What Couldn't Be Heard" , and several articles on architecture topics for Rethinking the Future. She is also a lifelong performer of Indian Classical Kathak Dance, having completed a Master’s Degree in the art form. Furthermore, she is an active canvas painter working on oil and acrylic paintings, and was recognized in an Art Competition for showing extraordinary skill hosted by Challenge Me Art.

To learn more about the team, visit the link in our bio!

Renovations to the Shaan Soo'x Community Center were completed last month. While heavily used, the building was limited by a poor entry with limited visibility, waiting space, and accommodations for those with mobility limitations.

The new entry sequence features a lobby with easy visibility to the exterior and comfortable seating, reframed with new, large glulams and spruce trim. The renovation also includes a new flex room, a small conference room, and an expanded and updated commercial kitchen. The building was also converted from oil to new air-source heat pumps.

“This building belongs to the people of Angoon. Working together…is something we can’t take for granted.”

In a speech at the grand opening, Mayor Peter Duncan revealed that the idea for the Angoon Visitor Center came about five years ago to the day and, through collaborative efforts, it has been realized. This new facility offers a wide variety of functions for the city of Angoon. It houses a cafe, gallery space, and artists sales, as well as cozy nooks for gathering.

MRV is proud to have been a part of this project.

It's time to grab your friends, family, buckets, and shovels! MRV and AIA Alaska SE Section, with the Douglas 4th of July committee are once again hosting the Sand Castle Challenge at Sandy Beach.

This year, thanks to the generosity of .alaska, , and .douglas prizes are up for grabs for the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners!

Got a student in middle or high school?? AIA Alaska’s SE Section is hosting an architecture camp this summer aimed at introducing students to the world of architecture! They’ll spend a day with local architects learning about the design process by designing a waterfront project and presenting that work to friends and family at the end of the day. To learn more and sign up, visit the link 🔗 in our bio!

Spent a couple of days in Craig kickstarting a project, celebrating the groundbreaking of another, and checking in on the progress of a couple more. We’re excited to get get started on the Craig Cannery Uplands Masterplan and continue to serve the community of Craig!

MRV was proud to work with the team to create a simple, efficient building to house their intricate hydroponic farm operation and provide a storefront for the Juneau community to get closer to their greens. 

If you haven’t already snagged a Greens Box, be sure to sign up on the Juneau Greens website.

Favorite Project Friday!

We’re back with another Favorite Project Friday. This week, we are highlighting our intern, Jonathan Lee’s, favorite project: Icy Strait Point. This port project has been a prime location visited by cruise ships since 2004. Tasked with the overall master plan, MRV revitalized the existing restaurant and developed a welcoming center.

Jonathan highlighted the sense of warmth and peace created by the timber structure and intimate connection with nature as his favorite part of the project. He said, “It feels like I’m taking a step back from technology and experiencing nature in its simplest form.”

Happy Indigenous Peoples Day from MRV!

We at MRV consider it a great privilege to continue to be able to put our skills in the hands of our clients and allow them to express their culture and points of view via architecture and the built environment. We are excited by the work already completed and look forward to the work still to come.

1. Chief Shakes House, Wrangell

2. Kake, AK

3. Sheet’ka Kwaan Naa Kahidi Tribal Community House, Sitka

4. OVK Tribal House Render, Kake

5. Naay I’Waans, Chief Son-I-Hat’s Whale House, Kasaan

6. Angoon, AK

7. Hala Cafe, Hydaburg

8. Walter Soboleff Building, Juneau

9. Juneau, AK

10. Early Education Facility Render, Craig

Recently, MRV has been working with both the Organized Village of Kake and the Angoon Community Association to design a Tribal House and Long House, respectively. These designs are derived from our conversations and careful collaboration with the communities; they give shape to the cultural identity of these villages.

The OVK Tribal House utilizes traditional forms and massing, but includes contemporary glazing so as it sits above the Keku Strait, it can act as a beacon for both Kake and its visitors.

The Angoon Long House, a conceptual study, is situated right at the waterfront, making it ideal for canoe arrivals. It calls heavily upon traditional form and material, allowing it to be rooted in place.

Concurrent with this design work are visits from the United States Navy to offer an apology for its bombardment of the Southeast Alaskan towns more than 150 years ago, bombardments that wiped out Tribal Houses and Long Houses much like the ones these villages are now aiming to reinstate.

To read more about these events, please visit and look for the upcoming Box of Knowledge book by Zachary R. Jones, Ph.D set to release later this year.

Caught some great weather in Haines as we continue making progress on restoration plans for the Noow Hit Tribal House. If you would like to donate to this project, please visit the to see how.