--- title: "MCAI — Architects & Building Designers | Houzz" canonical_html_url: https://www.houzz.com/professionals/architects-and-building-designers/mcai-pfvwus-pf~1761615367 markdown_url: https://www.houzz.com/md/professionals/pf~1761615367.md entity_type: LocalBusiness business_name: MCAI category: ["Architects"] image: https://st.hzcdn.com/fimgs/0473718c0f831b87_2424-w400-h400-b0-p0--.jpg address: "Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15217, United States" latitude: 40.4308 longitude: -79.9205 phone: "(412) 362-0768" website: http://www.marycerrone.com rating: 5 review_count: 21 best_of_houzz_awards: 4 followers: 206 last_updated: 2026-09-05 --- # MCAI Original Houzz profile: [MCAI](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/architects-and-building-designers/mcai-pfvwus-pf~1761615367) ## Professional summary - **Primary category:** Architects - **Location:** Pittsburgh, PA - **Serves:** Pittsburgh, Fox Chapel - **Houzz rating:** 5.0 out of 5 (21 reviews) - **Best of Houzz:** 4 awards (2014–2021), for Service. ## About ### Houzz Badges - Star Houzzer - Houzz Influencer - Recommended on Houzz - 250 Ideabook Saves Custom Residential Architecture and Interior Design ### Services Provided - Architectural Design - Home Remodeling - Architectural Drawings - New Home Construction - Home Additions - Home Extensions - Kitchen Design - Kitchen Remodeling - Energy-Efficient Homes - Bathroom Design - Deck Design - Laundry Room Design - Custom Homes ### Areas Served - Pittsburgh - Fox Chapel ## Business Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Business Name | MCAI | | Address | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15217, United States | | Phone | (412) 362-0768 | | Website | http://www.marycerrone.com | | License Number | RA015359B | | Followers on Houzz | 206 | ## Contact - **Houzz profile:** [MCAI](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/architects-and-building-designers/mcai-pfvwus-pf~1761615367) - **Website:** http://www.marycerrone.com - **Phone:** (412) 362-0768 ## Credentials - **Best of Houzz:** 4 awards (2014–2021), for Service. ## Reviews **Overall rating: 5.0 out of 5 — 21 reviews** ### Reviews **★★★★★ — Chara Williams, July 2020** > Mary Cerrone was the architect for our kitchen, dining room, powder room, and deck renovation. Her work is excellent. She listened to our requirements and came back with creative and functional solutions. The end result feels innovative and new, but also still fits in seamlessly with the rest of the house. She also did construction observation for us, which was incredibly helpful--she kept us up-to-date on progress, made it clear what decisions needed to be made and when (and helped expertly guide those decisions), and was instrumental in keeping the project on track. She is responsive, detail-oriented, and a pleasure to work with. We are really pleased with the renovation. I highly recommend her and her work. **★★★★★ — Anna Fisher, Aug. 2017** > Mary worked on a kitchen remodeling project in my husband's first house. I love that kitchen! So when we needed an architect for a big remodeling project in our new house, we knew we wanted to work with Mary (in fact we made sure she'd be available and willing to work on the new project before we made the offer on the new house). Both projects involved removing/moving structural elements (walls and stairs) and we had complete trust in Mary with these big projects. We also love Mary's modern aesthetic! Both projects produced stunning and sensible living spaces (with improved storage, light, and connection to the outdoors). We also appreciated how meticulous Mary was both at the design stage and during construction supervision. **★★★★★ — hunterdiamondnovelist, May 2017** > Mary is a detail oriented architect with a forthright diligence and attention to task. Mary designed a kitchen, master bath, closet and laundry nook for our (not yet owned) four square Pittsburgh Tudor in Aspinwall. She listened, and when needed, guided us. I recommend Mary to all home lovers who want a firm hand and keen intellect. Happy to provide professional references and referrals to Mary any time. **★★★★★ — Mike Kelly, Dec. 2016** > Our company has worked with Mary on several projects over the past 5 years. Mary takes care of the design and details which allows our company to concentrate on the construction. > > Mary is a delight to work with and an excellent architect. . > > Mike & Matt Kelly, Aspen Valley Contracting, Pittsbugh, PA **★★★★★ — Athicha Muthitacharoen, Nov. 2015** > We love working with Mary! She has great taste and is also practical. She brought her expertise in architecture and interior design together to create an awesome plan for renovating our turn-of-the-century Victorian house. > > We recently completed the renovation of our entire second floor, reconfiguring the rooms to create a more functional and contemporary space. Mary was with us throughout the entire process, from initial concept, to schematic design, to construction plan, and right down to selecting fixtures and paint color. She also recommended great contractors to execute the plan and worked with them and us all the way through to the end of the project. > > We have lived in the new space for several months and are loving it! **★★★★★ — mrlsanchez7, Nov. 2015** > Mary helped me chose a color palette for my victorian house. She made what seemed like an impossible array of choices simple. I love the result!!! **★★★★★ — klynnfrederick, Nov. 2015** > I had a wonderful experience working with Mary on a kitchen remodel of my ca 1897 Victorian home. My goal was to take a very industrial kitchen and transform it into a space that was warmer and lighter and more funcitonal for my family while keeping it true to the vintage nature of our home. I also wanted to lay the ground work for a second phase that would connect the kitchen to my backyard with a porch, requiring breaking through existing walls and positioning a new door. > > Mary was able to take my basic ideas and incorporate them into a design that was perfect. She did an amazing job of positioning the new door to make it both functinal and aesthetically pleasing from both the inside and the outside. Her idea of aligning the door jamb heights with the existing windows throughout the kitchen and the extensive crown molding finishes made for a very dramatic overall impression in the room. Mary's service throughtout the project were invaluable from assessing the space, validating my design ideas and expectations, acknowledging the need to improve the energy efficiency of the space as much as could be expected, finding and coordinating quality contractors to do the work, supervising the buildout and advocating and mediating interactions with the contractor during the project. Her attention to detail were what really took the design from basic to beautiful, and made the value of her services and knowlege well worth the extra expense. I can't be more happy with the experience and the results! **★★★★★ — Martin Beck, Dec. 2014** > Mary Cerrone has completed two very successful home renovation designs for us. In both cases her designs have enhanced our homes in ways that accommodated all our needs. These were projects with very different problems, requirements and settings: One a ca. 1910 home in the heart of Squirrel Hill Pittsburgh, the other a contemporary farmhouse on 27 acres in the Bluegrass Region of central Kentucky. > In Pittsburgh we challenged her to provide a new kitchen and powder room within the existing, quite small, space plus a basement stairway relocation. This was on top of the previous owners’ renovation that altered the earlier stairway and structure. It turned out to be quite a puzzle but the results exceeded our expectations. The design took an awkward corner of the house with a barely functional kitchen, clumsily shoehorned powder room, and some scary basement stairs and made an open, integrated space with a beautiful kitchen and powder room that segued into the dining room and entryway in a graceful and comfortable way. We gained space, a great view of the garden in the backyard, and a floor plan maintained the discreet intimacy of each room, yet an openness that allowed circulation and space while cooking and entertaining. **★★★★★ — Carol Elo, Nov. 2014** > After having worked with Mary Cerrone for several years and on many projects, I can honestly say she is one of the very best architects in Pittsburgh. Her designs are practical but stunning. She always works to achieve exactly what her clients want without imposing her tastes on the client's wishes. Her drawings and specifications are always complete down to the last detail. I would certainly recommend Mary Cerrone to anyone searching for an excellent architect. **Comment from MCAI:** > Thanks Carol for your kind words. It takes a team effort, of which you are a big part! **★★★★★ — tmipeters, Nov. 2014** > Mary Cerrone expertly executed plans for a first floor full bath, kitchen remodel and back door/porch. > She worked well with contractors, always available when unexpected issues arose in this 95 year old Pittsburgh house. Mary's extensive experience with vendors, products and contractors added much to the planning and execution of this project. Mary revitalized our home. **★★★★★ — User, Aug. 2014** > I worked with Mary for many years as a colleague. She is extremely professional and detail oriented, and will take the time to arrive at the best possible design solution for your home. She has great taste and skill for creating that "magazine photo" look, that's just right for your personal style. **★★★★★ — rctsteele, Jan. 2014** > I have worked with Mary Cerone both on developement projects and my personal residence. > The fact that I have continued to work with her on three different projects attests to my high level of trust and respect in her process and product. > > First and formost she listens. The colaborative process that I have encountered with her has been nothing but positive and produced truly distinctive and quality projects. I have found her to be very receptive, knowledgable, and adaptable. She has been able to take my ideas, incorporate them and raise them to a level beyond even my hopes. She also brings a great personal esthetic to her work. > > Her committment to my projects has served as an anchore to their success. ## Selected projects - [Four Square House](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/four-square-house-pj-vj~6197069) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 4 - Description: The early 20th century four-square house type is defined by its four main rooms - entry, living, dining, and kitchen. Its first three rooms are often connected to one another by framed openings, and look onto front, back and side yards. The kitchen, however, is usually small, awkwardly-configured, hindered by basement stair access, and lacking a pleasant connection to the rest of the house and the outdoors. We reorganized the main floor of this four-square house with two moves. First, we relocat… - [Liberty Lofts](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/liberty-lofts-pj-vj~6197138) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 5 - Description: This loft in a converted piano factory overlooks Liberty Avenue in Pittsburgh's Downtown Cultural District. Interior design by MCAI. Building design by RDC. - [Well-Fitted](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/well-fitted-pj-vj~6197131) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 1 - Description: Inches matter in small bathrooms, and we paid close attention to them in this 78" x 84" room. What was once a tight and awkward 50's-era hall bathroom is now compact, but well-fitted. We maximized the overall sense of space while accommodating larger, more commodious fixtures by reorienting the tub, working with a wall-mounted toilet, and creating a series of stone ledges on the window wall. The vanity's lines, along with the delicate fixtures and fittings, and floor and wall tile patterns add f… - [Pool Pavilion](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/pool-pavilion-pj-vj~5826710) - Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania - Photos: 9 - Description: MCAI was a consultant to PWWG Architects for this Shadyside pool and pavilion. The open-sided pavilion is defined by its sheltering hip roof that is supported by a series of paired cedar columns and by two discreet stone and cedar clad volumes. One volume contains a toilet room and shower, and the other contains a corner fireplace, TV nook, and rear storage. A cedar trellis connects to the home's garage side entry, and continues through and across the back of the pavilion. - [House on the Park](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/house-on-the-park-pj-vj~2718824) - Location: Pittsburgh, PA - Photos: 6 - Description: This modest 2 1/2 story home was relatively unchanged since its construction in 1925. Its chief virtue was its location, backing on to scenic Frick Park in the Point Breeze section of Pittsburgh. Expanding the home's footprint and volume without overwhelming its modest scale and narrow lot presented many design challenges. We therefore carefully enlarged the size and form with a simple, continuous shed roof addition that spans from a new ridge beam to a broad south-facing overhang. Raising the r… - [Redwood Cabin](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/redwood-cabin-pj-vj~2686164) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 3 - Description: This circa 1960 redwood "kit cabin" sat on an exposed concrete block foundation. It was designed on a 4' x 4' module, with redwood trusses, columns and half-log wall panels. We selectively dismantled and rebuilt it, recycling its redwood components inside and out. The result is a modern, rustic guest house with a deck overlooking the lake. - [Downtown Condo](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/downtown-condo-pj-vj~44231) - Location: Pittsburgh, PA - Photos: 3 - Description: This 17th floor condo was large and spacious, but otherwise nondescript. Its best feature was a wide view of the Monongahela River, punctuated with bridges against the tree-covered hillsides. Our challenge was to create a series of defined, but interconnected spaces that made the most of these tremendous views and abundant natural light. Core rooms without windows are illuminated by transoms over three-quarter high walls. The main living space is anchored by a kitchen at one end that features da… - [Colorful Kitchen](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/colorful-kitchen-pj-vj~44230) - Location: Pittsburgh, PA - Photos: 3 - Description: This kitchen renovation and deck addition is part of a series of house-wide transformations. The efficient galley configuration was essentially built-in to the home's layout. We captured additional floor area for recessing the refrigerator out over the basement stair, which had ample head height. The kitchen combines durable materials with a vibrant color palette, including linoleum over radiant floor heat, stainless steel and engineered stone counter tops, stained maple cabinets and doors, porc… - [Bathroom Retreat](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/bathroom-retreat-pj-vj~265146) - Location: Pittsburgh, PA - Photos: 4 - Description: One enters the room through a bamboo-finished rectangular box that defines this master bathroom's entry and tub area. The space then opens to face a floating vanity wall that conceals shower and toilet. - [Courtyard House](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/courtyard-house-pj-vj~2686194) - Location: Pittsburgh, PA - Photos: 5 - Description: A mid-century modern house on a large lot in Squirrel Hill is a rare find. This house had great bones, and was situated around a spacious, private courtyard. We redesigned much of the house to reinforce its connection to the outdoors. This included a dramatic new entry and stair, kitchen, master bedroom suite and terraced courtyard. An additional perk is a large, retractable skylight over the master shower for showering in the sun and under the stars. - [Traditional Center Hall](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/traditional-center-hall-pj-vj~2686122) - Location: Pittsburgh, PA - Photos: 3 - Description: Working with this large 3-story home's existing traditional center-hall style, we made significant changes to improve the quality of interior space, natural light and connections to a large and sunny back yard. The work was done in phases, beginning with the removal of a narrow, 4-story, servants' stair. Removing this stair opened views through the center hall to a south-facing back yard. It allowed us to connect the kitchen and dining room around a central axis with a large framed opening. - [Condo Interior](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/condo-interior-pj-vj~702546) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 3 - [My Houzz: From Dark and Dim to Cheerily Colorful in Pennsylvania](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/my-houzz-from-dark-and-dim-to-cheerily-colorful-in-pennsylvania-pj-vj~165284) - Location: Squirrel Hill, PA - Photos: 11 - Description: http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/7418018/list/My-Houzz--From-Dark-and-Dim-to-Cheerily-Colorful-in-Pennsylvania When Lu-in Wang and her husband Dave Herring bought their Squirrel Hill home four years ago, they knew they had their work cut out for them. "It was not exactly love at first sight: the house had been neglected and needed a lot of work," says Lu-in. "We thought we could make it into a house we would love, eventually." To make their home their own, the couple needed to open it up to the ou… - [Urban Residence](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/urban-residence-pj-vj~44239) - Location: Pittsburgh, PA - Photos: 3 - Description: The main floor of this urban residence was almost windowless, and culminated in a cramped kitchen. Proximity to side lot lines prohibited side wall windows in the original house. To address this we gutted the main floor, tore off a small one-story rear addition, reconfigured a large street-fronting bay window and added a generous family room with abundant southern exposure. We also fit in a powder room at the top of the basement stairs. With the kitchen in the middle, the front and back living s… - [Suburban Transformation](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/suburban-transformation-pj-vj~44240) - Location: Pittsburgh, PA - Photos: 7 - Description: This suburban residence suffered from a rambling floor plan, a lackluster kitchen and disjointed space planning. We repositioned the garage entry to create a mudroom and storage entry sequence. We opened the kitchen up to a south-facing patio as well as to the family room, dining room and formal living room beyond. We gutted much of the main floor - including bearing walls that were replaced with beams. We also removed the patio façade, completely reconfigured its fenestration, and added a cedar… - [Glass Tile and Bamboo Bathroom](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/glass-tile-and-bamboo-bathroom-pj-vj~44229) - Location: Pittsburgh, PA - Photos: 2 [See all 16 projects](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/architects-and-building-designers/mcai-pfvwus-pf~1761615367) ## Ideabooks - [Snyder](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/84503392/list/snyder) — 4 ideas [See all 1 ideabook](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/users/mary-cerrone) ## Community Q&A **Q: What material was used for the countertop(s)?** *(in Photo Questions)* A: Hi. The counter top at the sink is stainless steel, with integral bowl, drain board and marine edge. The other tops are Cambria. **Q: Are these sicis tiles?** *(in Photo Questions)* If so can you tell me the name and collection of both colors? Thanks! A: Yes, they are Sicis tile; however, I do not recall the colors. **Q: How does this screen door seal the opening?** *(in Photo Questions)* A: The screen door is set on the hanging hardware to run relatively tight to the wall; it has dense, face-mounted brush-style weather stripping along its top rail and right stile, and the same along the bottom of the bottom rail. **Q: barndoor** *(in Photo Questions)* Is it possible to make a sliding barn door for a basement door entrance with no extra wall space for the runner bar A: Diane, This is not a door to a basement. It is the door to the deck. **Q: can this door lock?** *(in Photo Questions)* I would love a sliding door likw this for my kitchen but it is on the first floor. are you about to have a lock on this? A: Candie, yes the exterior door to the deck locks. It has a three-point lock. **Q: Hardware - powder coated?** *(in Photo Questions)* Is the hardware powder coated? Can it be used outdoors? A: Yes, this is an exterior door (out-swinging model) with exterior hardware. --- *Source: Houzz professional profile. Reflects the profile as of 2026-09-05.*