Rick Solberg is a leading international hospitality and entertainment architect. He began his career after graduating from architectural school in 1979. In 1984 he partnered with Doug Lowe to establish Solberg + Lowe Architects in Santa Monica, California. It was during this time, guided by the influences of entertainment clients like Universal Studios, Six Flags, Paramount Parks and Walt Disney Imagineering that the firm’s design philosophy integrated the story telling techniques common to these media giants into its delivery of architecture. Building their firm’s portfolio to include corporate, hospitality, and retail in addition to its entertainment projects, S+L merged in 1994 with Cuningham Hamilton and Quiter of Minneapolis, a major Midwest firm specializing in casino design. Rick Solberg and Doug Lowe became founding partners in Cuningham Group / Solberg + Lowe in 1994 and ultimately the Cuningham Group.

Today Mr. Solberg serves as head of architectural services for MCM Group.

Daniel Shirk brings over 20 years of senior design experience on a wide variety of projects including office, hotel, residential, mixed-use, institutional, recreational and civic both in the U.S. and in China. Mr. Shirk has been the lead designer on such significant projects as the $1 billion Wilshire Grand Hotel and office complex in Los Angeles, featuring a 700 room luxury hotel and a 60 story office tower; the North Hollywood Transit Development in Los Angeles which is a 200,000 SM mixed-use center that includes four office towers, an arts complex, a childcare facility, retail and entertainment facilities and a variety of multi-family residential communities.

Mr. Shirk has been a senior designer on projects in China for over fifteen years. They include such notable projects as the Fu-Tien Sports Center in Shenzhen, an 80,000 SM community sports center featuring a 5,000 seat stadium, two gymnasiums, a swimming hall, athletic buildings, hotel, retail and entertainment facilities. Other developments in China include a 1.2 square km urban plan for Tianjin; a 50,000 SM Bank of China office tower in Dalian; a 25 story Fu-Yuan residential tower; a 25 story residential tower in Shenzhen; a master plan for the Dalian Central Business District; and the Furama Hotel in Tianjin to name but a few.

Daniel has been honored numerous times by the Society of American Registered architects including several Awards for Design excellence and Honor Awards. He serves as the lead designer for MCM.

Yue “Claudia” Zhang Yue is a civil engineer and landscape architect, with a wide variety of experiences in both disciplines. She earned her Civil Engineering Degree from Tianjin Institute of Urban Construction and a graduate Landscape Architect Degree from Beijing Forestry University. Ms Zhang has been working with MCM Group International for the past five years.

Ms. Zhang has managed over fifty client projects for MCM Group International in China and in addition has provided the planning and landscape design direction for several prominent projects in China including the Haihe Waterfront Landscape Project and the Sino-Italian Park in Tianjin, to name just two. She has proven highly proficient in coordinating project development with clients through her straightforward, open-minded, and ethical approach to projects.

In addition to managing the Beijing office, she oversees MCM Group International’s regional representative offices in China and nine field reps.

Project Manager and active Entertainment Producer, Mr. Miziker is responsible for overseeing project development and production for many of MCM Group International’s diverse lifestyle projects throughout the world. With twenty-year experience in the organization and development of entertainment and lifestyle developments, he ensures that projects are completed to the highest standards, on time and on budget.

After attending the University of Southern California, his career began in 1988 serving as Associate Producer and Post Production Supervisor for The Sunkist K.I.D.S., a weekly television series for ESPN. In 1989 he worked as director for all entertainment at Lotte World in Seoul, South Korea. He then moved to the Walt Disney Company, overseeing the production of television commercials and trailers for all brands of Disney’s home video including Touchstone, Buena Vista Home Video, Disney Home Video and Hollywood Pictures.

Over the past fifteen years Bobby has produced many entertainment productions and managed the development of themed attractions in the United States, Europe, Central and South America and Asia. These diverse projects led Bobby through the design and build phases of several theaters, show spaces and themed commercial development projects. His latest achievements include the development and supervision of several unique entertainment venues including the redesign and construction of the Show Court at Viejas Casino and Retail Center in Alpine, California, and the AireSur Retail Plaza in Sevilla, Spain. Over the last four years Bobby has managed many phases of the development process for large entertainment and real estate development projects throughout China.

Having developed his career alongside industry leaders since childhood, nobody knows how to develop a quality themed environment better. This knowledge has earned him the respect of countless clients within the world of leisure entertainment design, production and management.

Mr. Benjamin has more than 25 years experience as a financial analyst and financial officer. He received his MBA at the University of Michigan and moved to Los Angeles to join the global accounting and consulting firm Arthur Young & Co. Leaving Arthur Young he was recruited by the Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee where he worked for the founder of MCM Group International, Mr. Mitchell, serving as a Planning Manager and Controller during the 1984 Olympic Games. He joined Mr. Mitchell after the Games and has worked throughout the world on MCM Group International projects as a financial analyst conducting market research, facility planning, financial feasibility studies, and project accounting. Over the last five years he has supervised numerous feasibility studies on major development projects throughout China.

Mrs. Gu received her Bachelor of Architecture from the Beijing Polytechnic University and her Master’s of Architecture at the University of Arizona. She has over a decade of both U.S. and Chinese architectural experience, beginning her career in China as a project architect for five years. After furthering her education in the United States she has worked an additional seven years as job captain and associate architect on such notable projects as the California Latino Museum, the Pacific Amphitheater, the Georgia Aquarium and the LA Live luxury hotel and Conference Center.

Mrs. Gu supervises the CAD team’s work on Schematic Design through Construction Documents. Additionally she coordinates all work with MEP and structural consultants.

Linus Sora has supervised design production services for MCM Group International for the past ten years. In addition to these services, Mr. Sora manages MCM/ARS, the visual rendering division of MCM Group International. Having served in a variety of capacities throughout the firm including in the research and feasibility departments, Mr. Sora understands the development of a project from feasibility assessment through design and eventual construction. He has provided on site services for MCM Group International projects throughout the world.

Prior to joining MCM Group International he worked as a producer and on-set assistant director in the commercial and film industries. This background allows Mr. Sora to bring his additional understanding of entertainment sensibilities to our architectural design services, which MCM Group International employs on many of our projects, as well as the critical management of time and resources to provide clients with the best possible product through all phases of the development process.

Mark Krebs has engineering and construction experience with both public and private sector projects spanning back to 1988. His design and construction experience includes lakes, water features, all phases of infrastructure, grading, drainage, roadway, water, sewer, reclaimed water, storage, distribution, wetland evaluation and mitigation. His water resources expertise includes hydrology, sediment transport and hydraulic computer modeling analyses and design for many private and municipal FEMA flood control projects.

In addition to the responsibility of being an officer of the company and President of PACE, Mr. Krebs has been Principal/Sr. Project Manager and the lead design engineer on numerous water resources projects and personally oversees the development of the water engineering program in China.

Ron Rovansek has a wide variety of Civil and Water Resources Engineering experience spanning back to 1990 including design, analysis, review, and technical presentations . His experience includes analysis of stormwater impacts, design of stormwater management systems, stormwater master planning, river and creek engineering and restoration, and the design of lakes and lake communities. In addition, Dr. Rovansek has experience with pollution control technologies for combined sewers, non-point source pollution control, and the hydrology of both urban and undeveloped areas. Other experience includes researching stormwater Best Management Practice (BMP) design as a visiting scientist with US Environmental Protection Agency.

Ziyin “David” Shen is an environmental and water resources engineer, with a wide variety of experiences in both the United States and China. Mr. Shen graduated from Tsinghua University’s Hydraulics Department where his research was focus on management information system of water resources protection in Haihe Basin (320,000 square km), one of the seven largest watersheds in China. With a second Master’s degree from Cornell University, his research was to control the phosphorus loading from the Cannonsville Watershed, to reduce the eutrophication of the Cannonsville Reservoir, which is the water resource for New York City.

Mr. Shen has worked for PACE for over six years contributing his expertise in hydrology, hydraulics and sediment study, master drainage plans and storm drain design, floodplain modeling, water quality modeling, groundwater modeling and GIS. He has been the project engineer for two large-scale watershed studies; the San Juan Creek Watershed Study and the West Desert Hot Springs Master Drainage Plan for Orange County and Riverside County. Mr. Shen currently serves as senior project manager for China projects.

Zirang Song has working and studying experience in several countries with extensive experience in recreational water engineering design and construction. With a Master degree in International Construction Management from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, he worked in China, Singapore and USA for at least 7 years in each country, completed dozens large design and construction projects for water features, swimming pools and lakes. His areas of expertise include lake system design, water feature / fountain design and construction management, swimming pool filtration system design and construction management, and pump station design. His other responsibilities include: construction support and coordination.

As a senior designer and landscape architect with 30 years experience, Bill Schulz has led the master landscape planning and design of some of the highest profile projects in the United States, Asia and the Middle East. His broad experience includes large urban planning projects, design and project supervision of new and updated construction, including resorts, visitor destinations, theme parks, new communities, as well as mixed-use residential and corporate developments.

Mr. Schulz’s international experience enriched his art and heightened his sensitivity to the importance of the urban context as it relates to, and reflects, its participants. His award-winning portfolio reflects this exposure to multiple artistic and cultural influences, which have helped him to create projects of enduring quality and substance.

As president of ima, Mr. Schulz’s expertise extends through every aspect of the design process including programming, concept development, master planning, schematic design, final design and construction documentation. He personally oversees multiple projects from conception through completion.

Ron Izumita lends his experience and delicate artistry to the firm’s dynamic urban plans, landscape designs and compelling streetscapes. His 30-year career spans nearly every segment of real estate development, and he has left an indelible mark on many landscape master planning and design solutions for resorts, theme parks, new communities, mixed-use commercial, mixed-use residential, entertainment and corporate development.

A consummate professional, he works closely with the senior staff to set the artistic vision for each project. His hands-on participation in the design process and personal client interaction enable him to analyze, capture and enhance the client’s vision.

With a combination of expertise in project management, hands on approach and a keen understanding of Asian culture, Glenn has successfully managed and implemented some of the firm’s highest commissioned projects in the United States and internationally. His work includes community master planning, visitor destinations, tourist development, retail developments, campus student housing, and multi-family residential developments. Some recently constructed projects include Desert ridge Marketplace in Phoenix, Tempe Marketplace in Tempe, Arizona State University’s Vista Del Sol and Barrett Honors College student housing in Tempe.

Coming soon…

Mr. Gutierrez is a highly accomplished concept designer, architect, and planner. As a registered architect for the past fifteen years, Juan has led design teams on master planned communities, resorts, theme parks, lifestyle centers and luxury residential developments throughout the world. Juan has worked on world famous casinos such as Caesars Palace and the Tropicana in Las Vegas; prominent international hotels for Hilton, Four Seasons and Marriott and the acclaimed Atlantis Dubai; along with leading entertainment companies such as Universal Studios. He is well-versed in Chinese design requirements as he works periodically from MCM’s Beijing office.