MKDA celebrates its 50th Anniversary

MKDA is celebrating its 50th Anniversary as one of New York City's most distinguished corporate interior space planning and design firms. Milo Kleinberg, a noted fashion showroom designer in the 1960s, founded MKDA in 1959. His sons, Jeffrey and Michael Kleinberg, joined the firm in the mid-1970s. Today, the family-owned and operated company, which is headquartered in Manhattan with a second office in Stamford, Conn., boasts an extensive clientele that spans the finance, insurance, legal, new media, education and retail sectors, to name a few. Noted for a modernist and sustainable design approach, and spatial transformations that bring to life unique corporate identities, MKDA has been engaged by companies ranging in size from start-up ventures to established global brands in numerous U.S. markets. Global insurance provider Willis Group recently engaged MKDA to create a cutting-edge office in Bethesda, MD incorporating sustainable materials and its own unique brand standards (The Willis Way). Financial advisory and private equity firm Centerview Partners also recently engaged the firm to design an elegant and classic New York office with exquisite materials and coordinated details representative of the industry leader. "While we consider each company's unique brand, many of the interiors we design today are reminiscent of those we created 50 years ago, but with a European relatedness," said Milo Kleinberg, who designed an illustrious office for Lufthansa Airlines in the 1960s. "Offices today are generally architecturally clean, utilize an abundance of glass, and incorporate products and practices that lessen a company's environmental impact." "Our designs are about the end-user," added Jeffrey Kleinberg. "By integrating smart space analysis and planning, clean design and cutting-edge technologies, we are able to create effective and pleasant environments that relate to a company's brand and corporate culture." Also distinguished for its real estate transactional knowledge, MKDA has created a solid niche creating built space—prebuilt programs, turnkey spaces and marketing centers—for commercial landlords. The design firm is also frequently involved in common area renovations and upgrades. "We have had great success working with commercial owners and brokers because we understand both the tenants' and owners' unique requirements," said Kleinberg. "As such, we have a reputation for arming commercial dealmakers with tools and tactics that lease space, and as a result, this end of our business has grown 30 percent in over one year." "We have had many successes due to the MKDA prebuilt programs" said Vornado Realty Trust senior vice president and director of leasing Glen Weiss "The firm, currently devising a marketing center at 909 Third Ave. and a prebuilt program at 640 Fifth Ave., is proving once again to be astute at the business of design and real estate." With a commitment to sustainable practices, and answering the market's demand for LEED-designed spaces, MKDA employs LEED-accredited professionals who source the latest in attractive, durable and economical sustainable materials and systems. In an effort to reduce its own carbon footprint, MKDA's headquarters at 902 Broadway was outfitted with locally manufactured materials and energy efficient lighting fixtures that feature occupancy and daylight sensors. MKDA - a partnership headed by the three Kleinbergs - employs a solid group of experienced architects, designers and project managers, many of which have been with the firm for over 20 years. A stable of up-and-coming talent plugged into the latest design trends rounds out the staff. Together, the staff plans and designs exceptional spaces for its clients. "The entire MKDA team never fails to deliver great service in a timely manner, often giving my clients a real level of confidence," said CB Richard Ellis, Inc. executive vice president Paul Amrich. "This is the type of business approach that will keep MKDA going strong for another 50 years."