Leading by Design: Jonathan Mallie

For Jonathan, a career in architecture was the obvious choice. From his early-on love of LEGO, to working with his father on countless design-related endeavors, creativity is simply in his blood. Today, he creates spaces that draw thousands and thousands of people together to create long-lasting memories. When starting a new project, Jonathan draws inspiration from the location where it resides, connecting project goals with each city’s history, culture and community.  

Motivated by teams that love their city and fan bases that love their teams, one recent project stands out for Jonathan: the Buffalo Bills’ new Highmark Stadium in western New York. From the very beginning, the design connected with its surroundings and put football fans first, creating the most intimate and intimidating seating bowl that we’ve designed to date — perfect for the NFL’s most passionate fan base.   

“Everything about that seating bowl was about bringing the fans close to the field, about intimacy and intimidation. We created an environment for noise and to enhance the visual quality and continuity of the fans on top of the field.”   

Jonathan credits the project’s success to strong collaboration with the Bills team: “Working with the ownership group, it’s a partnership, and when you have the right partners, you can elevate design to the next level.”