MWA, Inc.

4.916 Reviews

Architects

35 years in business

7x Best of Houzz winner

References available

About Us

Truckee/Tahoe's Unique, Custom Architecture Firm- Best of Houzz 2020

MWA, inc. - Architecture and Engineering is an award winning firm that designs unique custom architecture for our client's homes and private commercial projects. We are an experienced firm with youthful energy and a proven track record of client satisfaction with over two thousand projects since our inception in 1985. Our designs range from mountain rustic to traditional to modern to meet our client’s needs. We are licensed in California, Nevada, Idaho, and Washington with most of our projects in and around Truckee and Lake Tahoe. Our firm takes pride in maintaining a professional presence while operating as a casual, down to earth company with a sense of humor. Our office is a fun think tank environment with dogs asleep on the floor and music thumping. We choose to live in the mountains for the high quality of life and our happiness shows in our work. MWA, inc. is driven by teamwork and collaboration rather than big egos. We listen to what our clients say and enlighten them with our experiences to help them weigh-off the multitude of options, factoring aesthetics, function, environment, long-term vs short-term costs, marketability, flexibility, and user satisfaction through the ages. We collaborate with some of the best builders and craftsmen in the area to create high quality results. Our goal for every project is a happy client and a responsibility to the community, the environment, the user, and the soul.

Services Provided

3D Rendering, Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), Architectural Design, Architectural Drawings, Basement Remodeling, Bathroom Design, Building Design, Custom Home, Deck Design, Drafting, Energy-Efficient Homes, Floor Plans, Green Building, Guesthouse Design & Construction, Handicap-Accessible Design, Historic Building Conservation, Home Additions, Home Extensions, Home Remodeling, House Plans, Kitchen Design, Kitchen Remodeling, Laundry Room Design, Log Home Construction, Mudroom Design, New Home Construction, Outdoor Kitchen Design, Staircase Design, Structural Engineering, Sustainable Design, Universal Design, Custom Homes, Construction Drawings, Interior Design, Engineering, Furniture Selection

Areas Served

Carnelian Bay, Crystal Bay, Floriston, Kings Beach, Tahoe Vista, Truckee, Reno, South Lake Tahoe, Zephyr Cove, Incline Village, Grass Valley, Penn Valley, Nevada, Nevada City, Homewood, Lake Tahoe, Tahoe City, Sierra Valley, Carson City, Glenbrook, Auburn, Sierraville, Sparks, Quincy, Douglas County, Placer County, Washoe County, Nevada County

Awards

We are an award winning firm with over 30 design awards over as many years. On staff we have three Architects, with licenses in California, Nevada, Idaho, and Washington, and an engineer with licensed in California, Colorado, Nevada, & Utah.

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55 Projects

Homewood, CA

Credentials

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Write a Review

16 Reviews for MWA, Inc.

Karen Sagarra

Relationship

Client

I found MWA through Houzz.com and they were great. Morgan, the architect I worked with, saw my dream from the start and worked with me to realize it on paper. She saw the project through all of the permit processes from the homeowners association through the county and working with my contractor. I would absolutely use MWA again and would recommend them to anyone! I will update as the project completes.

July 2, 2019

Comment from MWA, Inc.:

Thank you Karen, you were so great to work with!

Mignone Wood

Relationship

Client

Kristi Thompson and her design team at MWA, Inc. was a pleasure to work with. They listened to our wishes, design criteria and looked at out bubble diagrams and incorporated it all into the architectural plans. Another bonus was that they worked quickly with the local agencies and obtained our permits in a timely fashion. The house has numerous unique qualities and isn’t a standard ‘Tahoe Mountain Home’. Instead it is an ‘eclectic house’ as Kristi called it as each room has its own character. We are very pleased with the final design of the house; and love living in it.

January 20, 2019

Comment from MWA, Inc.:

Thank you, Mignone! We really enjoyed working with you and bringing your vision to fruition. I'm so happy you love your new home!
Kristi

Kimball & Marianne Igleheart

Relationship

Client

We purchased our home new around 20 years ago and we wanted a firm to guide us in a transformation that would include the addition of 2 more bedrooms, a wine cellar, a spa and expanded family room. After interviewing several design firms we choose to work with Kristi and her team at MWA and we are very satisfied with our choice. The project was extensive and included an excavation under the existing home to add a third floor and expansion of the home’s footprint to accommodate access to the 3 floors. MWA developed a creative floor plan and brought their engineering expertise to a rather complex project. The project is recently completed and we are very pleased with the results and we now have a beautiful home with plenty of room for our grandchildren and guests.

November 21, 2018

Comment from MWA, Inc.:

Thank you, Kimball and Marianne! It was a great pleasure to work with you to transform your beautiful home to suit your needs!

Jessica Coleman

Relationship

Client

We had such a terrific experience with Kristi at MWA. Honestly, we can't say enough about her friendly personality, attention to detail and pride in her work. We saw MWA's advertisement in a magazine and simply called to make an appointment. Kristi came to our home for a casual interview and from there suggested a few builders that we might consider in the Tahoe Area. Kristi led us to our awesome builder, Heller Construction and from there it was cake. What began as a small remodel turned into a full on renovation down to the foundation. Kristi rolls with the punches and has an awesome team of engineers and office staff to make it all look seamless. Let me assure you, she's just the gal you want representing your project when the going gets tough! On time, on budget...happy clients that are forever grateful.

May 3, 2017

Comment from MWA, Inc.:

Thank you so much, Jessica! I loved working with you too!

Denise Kowal

Relationship

Colleague

I have worked with the MWA team as an energy consultant for almost twenty years, and have been impressed with their professionalism, creativity, and attention to detail since the beginning. The California Energy Code changes frequently, and MWA is always eager to understand how each iteration will affect their design process. Energy efficiency is clearly something that MWA values and integrates into their design process, and they seem happy to incorporate new and emerging technologies for their clients that are interested in being on the leading edge, while also creating highly efficient homes using more standard technologies for those who prefer that route. MWA has my highest praise and recommendation.

October 12, 2016

Comment from MWA, Inc.:

Thanks for the kind words Denise! We always appreciate your help on projects.

Heller Construction, Inc.

Relationship

Colleague

Our team at Heller Construction, Inc. have been working with Kurt Reinkens and Kristi Thompson and the MWA team for years. MWA is on the forefront of green building in the Sierra Nevada mountains. It is always such an enjoyable experience to work alongside them and then physically build their unique and inspiring designs. Working together from concept to finished home has demonstrated our cohesive relationship,apparent in the finished product.

September 13, 2016

Comment from MWA, Inc.:

Thank you team Heller! We love working with you too!

tracimitch

Relationship

Client

Kurt Reinkens and his team at MWA designed our spectacular home in Martis Camp. They worked closely with us in creating a floor plan that was extremely functional and well suited for entertaining. They were masters at studying the topography of our large two acre site, and designed the home to take advantage of the views, privacy and curb appeal. The unique architecture was a perfectly executed balance of mountain architecture with a modern flair.

September 6, 2016

Comment from MWA, Inc.:

Thank you Traci for your nice review and for the opportunity to work on such a great project!

Katherine Elkins Designs Ltd.

Relationship

Colleague

I have had the opportunity to work with Kristi Thompson and her team at MWA on both new construction and remodel projects and have greatly enjoyed the collaboration. I am always excited when new projects designed my MWA come across my desk because I know that the end result will be beautiful and thoughtfully designed. They do a great job of listening to the homeowner's wishes and work to develop a design and that fits their individual wants and needs for their new home. Each project that we've worked on together has had a clear vision and an insightful design. As a result, it is very easy for me, as an interior designer, to continue working with the client to make sure that the interiors are cohesive with the architecture. I also appreciate how easy it is to work with Kristi and her team during the construction process if questions arise. I have learned a lot from them and hope to continue working together in the future.

August 26, 2016

Comment from MWA, Inc.:

Thank you Katherine! It is always such a pleasure to work with you.

JD Lee

Relationship

Client

Kurt, Eli, Donavan, Morgan et al at MWA turned our cabin remodel vision into an absolute stunning masterpiece. Throughout the conceptualization, design, and rendering process, our interactions were fun, exciting, exacting, horizon-stretching, yet realistic. Kurt's ability to visualize the optimal placement of windows maximizes the natural light throughout the day. The end product surpassed our expectations. BRAVO!

August 21, 2016

Comment from MWA, Inc.:

Cathie,
Thank you for your nice words. The house looks amazing and we are so glad you are happy with the results!

fdhodges

Relationship

Client

MWA and specifically Kristi Thompson took an eye sore of a house, tore it down, and redesigned a beautiful mountain home on the same foot print. Most importantly, she designed the house "we " wanted. WE wanted an open floor plan that maximized our view of the Martis Valley, accommodated our grown children's families, and utilized low maintenance materials ( like tile and stone floors, pavers on the patio and driveway). BUT the best part of all is all the little things Kristi did that are just part of their "normal" design. Like- extra wide counters, exposed beams in all the rooms, great roof line design, no exposed beams under the roof overhang, fantastic window placement and size, outdoor entries that make access easy in the winter and summer. and the functionallity of the floor plan. Each time we use the house, whether it's my wife and I, or our whole family , we love it. It's cozy for two or twelve. They always say you get what you pay for. So if you want a low ball price use another firm. But if you are willing to pay a little more---you will get the house of your dreams. Frank and Dianne Hodges

February 8, 2016

Comment from MWA, Inc.:

Dear Frank and Dianne,
I am thrilled that the home is working so well for you and your family. Thank you for sharing your experience!
Sincerely,
Kristi

Marilyn D

Relationship

Client

Our custom built home is over 20 years old and needed a "refresh". The house is quite unique with few 90 degree walls, has an interesting architectural perspective, but with rooms that were just off-purpose. We wanted to move the house into the 21st century! Kristi Thompson was very creative and provided for us a vision that we could implement in pieces, over time, subject to travel schedule and dollars. We have just completed phase one and are totally pleased with the outcome!

November 16, 2015

Comment from MWA, Inc.:

Marilyn,
Thank you for taking the time to post about your experience! I thoroughly enjoyed working with you and agree that the results of phase one are wonderful! I am looking forward to helping you with the next phases when you are ready.
Take care,
Kristi

jtvanber

Relationship

Client

We were referred to MWA by our builder Gerald Meng of Meng Construction. He builds a high quality custom home so we first visited MWA with high expectations. They were met! Kurt and Kristy listened to what we wanted and envisioned and designed the home of our dreams and a home that went on to win the Home OF The Year award in Tahoe Quarterly Mag. We highly recommend MWA.

April 4, 2013

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9 Ideabooks

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69 Comments

Commented: Could you identify the type/style/color of counters in this photo?Hi Susan, Thank you for your interest. Unfortunately, our records of this are out of date as the product was changed during construction with the client at the slab yard. I believe we ended up with a ...

April 27, 2021

Commented: Wall colorThank you for your question. Unfortunately, we don't have this information as we didn't select the wall paint seen here. The floors are stained concrete using Scofield black at the perimeter and Terra...

September 7, 2020

Commented: what wood and stain color is used on the flooringThank you for the question. The hardwood is a reclaimed antique distressed oak in a warm medium dark brown finish. We don't have more specifics on the exact color.

August 22, 2020

Commented: Who made the front door.This home was built around 2004 so I don't recall for sure who built this door but it was likely High Sierra Custom Door in Truckee, CA. https://www.highsierracustomdoor.com/ Any local custom door ...

January 7, 2020

Commented: That Dining Table!!The homeowner selected the furniture so we don't have information on specific pieces. Sierra Living Concepts has a similar looking table, their Salem table. Depending on the size and look you are af...

July 31, 2019

Commented: what stone is used at the base of the timbers?The stone used for the post bases is Montana Slate Ledge stone.

July 8, 2019

MWA, Inc.