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|  | May 21, 2003 MulvannyG2 opens 2 offices in China, Calif.By JOURNAL STAFF
In response to growing client demand, the Bellevue-based architecture firm MulvannyG2 Architecture recently announced the opening of two offices in Shanghai and Irvine, Calif. "One of our longest client relationships is with Costco Wholesale," said Jim Hillier, vice president and managing principal of MulvannyG2’s new Irvine office. "When we found ourselves doing an increasing amount of work for Costco in the greater California region, along with a growing client base located here, the logical next step was for us to plant roots in California." Hillier has more than 25 years of architectural experience in commercial, medical, research and development, industrial, retail and renovation projects. He relocated from MulvannyG2’s headquarters in Bellevue, to open the Irvine office. The Irvine office is located at 18200 Von Karman Ave., and has seven employees, with plans to expand rapidly. MulvannyG2 is working with Costco Wholesale and the city of Los Angeles on a redevelopment project called Midtown Plaza, which began in 1998 at the intersection of Pico Boulevard and San Vicente Boulevard. Dubbed a revitalization for the urban center, Midtown Plaza is a mixed-use retail center on a complicated lot. MulvannyG2 is doing preliminary design for the project, which will include Costco Wholesale and Home Depot. MulvannyG2’s work in China began seven years ago when the firm won an international competition for the design of the China Construction Bank in Xiamen. Since then, they have developed relationships with clients such as the Fujian Provincial Power Co., Beijing Shunyi District Government, China Worldbest Co. and Zhangjiang High-Tech Development Co. MulvannyG2 is working on more than 18 million square feet of design in China, including master planning. While these projects are mainly executed from the company’s headquarters in Bellevue, they needed to be managed locally, according to MulvannyG2. Remond Qi, who heads the company’s new office and business development efforts in Shanghai, said he is optimistic. "MulvannyG2 has already established a high reputation in China by winning seven high-profile design competitions for landmark skyscrapers and software parks. This gives us a tremendous advantage compared to other firms trying to break into the Chinese market." A MulvannyG2 spokesperson said the SARS virus outbreak has not interrupted the firm's design services in China. The World Health Organization has advised against all nonessential travel to Hong Kong and the Chinese capital Beijing. The new office is located at the West Gate Mall, NanJinXi Road 1038, Suite 2001. The Irvine office opened on March 8, and the Shanghai office opened its doors on April 2, during a special trade mission led by the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce.
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