Magnusson, Jon

Specialties: Structural Engineering

History:
Jon Magnusson is the Chairman/CEO of Magnusson Klemencic Associates. Jon joined the firm in 1976 after receiving his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Washington and going on to study to receive his master’s in civil engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. He was named CEO of MKA in 1988 and Chairman of the Board in 1998. (1)

Magnusson was named 2001 Engineer of the Year by ECAC of Washington for his September 11th-related work. As the former partner of the late John Skilling, the of the lead structural engineer of the World Trade Center and, Magnusson answered media inquires with patience as he explained the structural concept that led to the buildings collapse in clear simple terms. (2) Magnusson has also been named a Lifetime Honorary Member of the American Insitute of Architecture for his ” distinguished service to the profession of architecture or to the arts and sciences allied therewith.” (3)

Magnusson Klemencic Associates

Magnusson Klemencic Associates
Main Office: 1301 Fifth Avenue, Suite 3200, Seattle, Washington, 98101-2699, United States
Additional Offices: Chicago, Illinois (US)
Number of employees: 200
Engineering Specialties:
Wind Engineering
Vibration Engineering
Building Renovation/Change-of-Use
Sustainable Designs
Blast Protection

History:
W. H. Whitt founded the W. H. Whitt Company in 1923 in Seattle, WA. (1) Renowned partners including Harold Worthington, John Skilling, Helge Helle, Joseph Jackson, John Christiansen, Leslie Robertson, Kent Rogers, William Ward, Arthur Barkshire. (3) In 2003, the firm was renamed as Magnusson Klemencic Associates (MKA) under the Leadership of Jon Magnusson and Ronald Klemencic. (4)

Today, MKA has completed projects in 46 states and 48 countries for a total of $73 billion worth of projects designed and have received 337 awards for engineering excellence. (5) As of 2006, MKA had received a national award for engineering excellence and innovation from the American Council of Engineering Companies for 13 years out the last 18, more than any other firm in the country. In January 2006, the firm was awarded ACEC Washington’s highest honor, the Platinum Award, for the structural engineering of the Seattle Central Library. (6)

Selected Projects:

Seattle Central Library – Seattle, Washington

Dee & Charles Wyly Theatre – Dallas, TX

Olympic Sculpture Park – Seattle, Washington

Trinity Place – San Francisco, California

Anchorage Museum Expansion – Anchorage, Alaska

Bellevue Art Museum- Bellevue, Washington (under Skiling Ward Magnusson Barkshire Guy Nordenson & Associates)

Museum of Glass – Tacoma, Washington