ALWAYS LOOKING UP
From an early age, Scott Wilson was fascinated by high-rise architecture. Now, he brings decades of expertise in largescale urban design to MHK Architecture in Sarasota where he oversees the commercial division. “Growing up, I would visit my grandparents every year near Chicago and I was completely enamored by the high rise buildings and remarkable architecture throughout the city,” says Scott Wilson. “My eyes were always looking up and I absolutely loved it.”
Wilson is a senior architect in the Sarasota office of MHK Architecture, a boutique architecture firm specializing in luxury residential homes and human-centered commercial spaces. Wilson, who recently relocated to Sarasota from the firm’s Naples office, has always had a particular affinity toward the commercial side of architecture.
“I believe there are two types of clients: those that prioritize design and those that prioritize financial returns. I have always gravitated toward the financial side because return on investment (ROI) just makes sense to me,” Wilson says. “Design is very subjective, but ROI is the market putting value to your design. Different architecture firms have their own particular style and that is why clients go to those firms, but to me, commercial projects command the highest possible returns telling you when the design was done right. Whereas custom single family homes are for the individual, commercial work is built to be experienced by the market.”
Wilson’s architecture career began up north. After attending Hobart College in the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York for his undergraduate degree, he moved to New York City. There, he earned his master’s at NYU while working at the architecture firms Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates (KPF) and Gensler, ultimately becoming a licensed and registered architect in the state of New York. After twenty years of living and practicing in New York City, Wilson and his wife decided to pursue a more laid-back lifestyle and moved their family to Naples, Florida.
“When I was in New York I worked for two of the top firms in the world, and it was a great learning experience to cut my teeth in the commercial world. But it’s very much working at a global level,” Wilson recalls. “Coming to Florida, I thought I’d work at a small architecture shop doing one project here, another project there. Ironically, just a few months after our move, COVID hit and we noticed a great migration coming down to Florida right behind us. It was apparent the world wasn’t going to end and the real estate market was booming, so I went on a search to find the best architectural firm in all of Florida. During my search I kept finding myself coming back to Matthew H. Kragh, the Florida architect headquartered in Naples, and I quickly became one of his senior architects. After getting to know the MHK brand, culture and contacts, I was given the opportunity to come run MHK’s commercial division here in Sarasota.”
MHK classifies every project that is not a single family custom home as commercial, so Wilson oversees a diverse portfolio of projects. Since joining the firm, he has done all types of work, including several multi-story condominium buildings, private jet centers, yacht clubs, restaurants, churches, mixed-use complexes, and that barely scratches the surface.
“It has been a fun yet exhausting ride so far,” he says wryly. “I moved to Florida to kick up my heels, but find that I am busier here than when I was living in New York City.”
Still, Wilson wouldn’t have it any other way. He enjoys working closely with developers. He’s thriving in a position where there is endless variety and every project has its own unique challenges to solve. And he’s confident he’s landed at an incredible workplace.
“I have worked at the best firms in the world and to me it all starts from the top. Matthew Kragh is one of the smartest, kindest, funniest, coolest, most-laidback, creative and entrepreneurial leaders I have ever met,” Wilson says. “His mantra is to help everyone at every turn. He is philanthropic, driven and successful. He runs this company because he loves what he does, loves his relationships, loves our clients, loves design and he is very good at it. He is my perfect role model. If I can bring even a fraction of what Matthew does to my clients, success is imminent.” While most of the projects that Wilson designed for MHK are in Naples, he has been very hands-on with commercial projects in the Sarasota area. He shared an insider’s perspective on some projects that are currently in the works.
“I have worked at the best firms in the world and to me it all starts from the top. Matthew Kragh is one of the smartest, kindest, funniest, coolest, most-laidback and entrepreneurial leaders I have ever met.”
— Scott Wilson
THE OWEN
SUNSET BEACH SIESTA KEY
The beaches in Siesta Key are considered some of the best in the world, thanks to their calm, crystal-clear waters and powdery white quartz sand that remains cool to the touch even on the hottest days. Sublime shores like these are deserving of elevated architecture. Sunset Beach is a premier boutique condominium with eleven residences that will offer inhabitants an exclusive beachfront living experience. MHK Architecture has been working with the developer for two years laying all the groundwork that has to happen before ground can be broken—doing zoning and lot studies, getting approvals and entitlements, getting approvals from Sarasota, putting together construction drawings, getting permits. Now, construction is underway and the fun part has begun.“Sunset Beach provides a custom beachfront luxury experience,” says Wilson. “Owners will have panoramic views of Siesta Beach where they can enjoy looking out at the sunsets. There’s a ground floor amenity shared pool that everyone can use and easy access to the beach. Everybody will have their own private parking, and the experience of going from the parking area to the unit is also curated and privatized. And then once you get into the oasis of your own space, you’re living the beach lifestyle.” The spacious open-floor residences at Sunset Beach have been designed to maximize the incredible views of the Gulf of Mexico. Floor-to-ceiling insulated windows with solar tint glass span the perimeter of the living, dining and seating areas and are also featured in the master suites for a resort-like experience. The floor-to-ceiling hurricane-resistant balcony doors open onto oversized terraces with glass balcony railings so there’s nothing standing in the way of the view. Details like chef-inspired kitchens and expansive spa-like master bathrooms put the luxe in luxury.
Golden Gate Point is a picturesque peninsula located just off the mainland in downtown Sarasota. This elite enclave is home to some of Sarasota’s upscale condominiums and boutique developments, and The Owen, a tenstory condominium development comprising 29 luxury residences, will soon be among them. Golden Gate Point underwent a major revitalization project in the early 2000s—the streets have been transformed with brick pavers and modern lighting and lined with lush landscaping, creating an elegant, pedestrian-friendly environment that further enhances the desirability of the location “One of the greatest parts about The Owen is that everything surrounding it is right on the water but the building itself is not. You’re still going to get the beautiful views, but the building is kind of landlocked. In order to compete with the market, we needed to come up with a program that will outshine the other products that are on the waterfront.” The MHK team designed The Owen so that the bottom two floors are dedicated to parking. This means the residential spaces start on the third floor, meaning even the lower-level homes will have views of water and nature and get privacy from the road below. There are four floor plans for prospective residents to choose from, each with semi-private elevator access from the parking garage. The team at MHK Architecture took extensive drone footage of the site so that they could design the building with the views in mind. That meticulous attention to detail also extended to amenities. For example, the rooftop saltwater pool with an infinity edge is south-facing, so the pool and surrounding lounge area gets sun almost all day long.
MHK ARCHITECTURE
300 S Orange Ave, Sarasota, Florida 34236 941 | 271-4408 | mhkarchitecture.com
THE AMARA
Announced just last month, The Amara is one of MHK Architecture’s newest undertakings. This large-scale luxury condominium project consists of two side-by-side buildings, each ten stories in height, with a total of 54 units. “The Amara is right on Sarasota Bay. Not only do you have a view of the water, you also have a view of the city which is really quite cool,” Wilson says. “So you have the city view, you have the water view, you have a view of the boats and the marina. It’s just going to be a beautiful project.” Like The Owen, The Amara will be located on Golden Gate Point and will feature podium parking beneath the residential floors, though it won’t have the same curated parking experience. But among its many amenities (including a shared swimming pool and rooftop viewing areas) The Amara will have one that is fairly uncommon for condominium owners—private marina access with boat slips available for residents. Imagine stepping out of your waterfront condo and strolling down the boardwalk directly to your boat. It doesn’t get much more luxurious than that.
OUR APPROACH
Scale at Speed We’ve been told “Nobody comes out of the gate like MHK.” We take great pride in that because we know how important it is to hit the ground running. The first few weeks of design work on a project can mean the difference between winning or losing. We prefer to win. Boutique Detail We take a boutique approach to all our projects, translating our vast luxury residential experience into elevating our commercial work into truly human-centered design. Not only is this part of the expertise we bring, we believe it helps ensure the long-term success of the projects by creating better spaces for the business and people who use them. Show. Don’t Tell. A good idea isn’t good if it stays in your mind or on the boards. That’s why we’ve always invested time, energy, and resources into creating high-quality renderings early in the process so we can effectively cast a vision and make it obvious to the decision-makers why our designs should be approved and, ultimately, built.
Offices in Sarasota, Naples, Palm Beach, Sanibel Island, Islamorada, Charleston, Denver, Highlands, Greenville
Founded in Naples in 2009, we are now an architecture firm comprised of 9 studios and counting. Our studios are built on local expertise, while sharing the resources, efficiency, and diversity of talent that comes with a larger firm. We think it’s the best of both worlds.