MAIKE CHENG
Principal
“I believe design is the start of a relationship.”
After starting his design career designing luxury hotels and resorts, unique restaurants and bars, classic high-end residences, fresh office spaces, and exquisite multi-family interiors around the world, Maike took a leap of faith and ventured into his most creative project yet: MC Collaborative Designs.
With over 15 years of design experience, Maike has discovered that educating clients and also the public is his favorite part of interior design and real estate. He makes a conscious effort to debunk the sensationalized design and real estate stories that clients often refer to when starting a journey together. His attention to detail and practice of keeping clients informed along a progressing project has created several reformed reality TV watchers.
Maike says, “Design is such a beautiful thing, and it takes a team of brilliant and creative people to breathe life into a design. I believe that design is all around us, but only when a client and I are collaborating on the same wavelength regarding goals, budgets, time frame, and style does the design magic truly happen.
“When I was a kid, I never considered thinking 'inside the box', because where would the fun be?! I was constantly rearranging my room, investigating new ways of using the space in my little world. Today, as a designer, I still investigate these options each time I walk into a space.
"I believe design is all encompassing and affects every living being. There is no form versus function, because both need to work together in order for a design to be successful."
Certifications:
RID | NCIDQ | LEED® AP BD+C
GRI | REALTOR®
S. MOLLY WEILAND
Designer
With an extensive background in theatre and performance arts design throughout the Northwest region, Molly brings her keen perspective of the moods that well thought-out designs can evoke to MC Collaborative Designs.
Working exclusively in theatre design and fine art studios at the start of her career, Molly sought out the study of Architecture to explore ways of using her art to enhance the public world, rather than just galleries and performance art spaces.
Molly says, “In theatre, we are taught that all choices in color, scenery, lighting, and fabric set a mood. These choices are specifically made to create feelings that enhance the actors and the script. Theater made me think about how all spaces in the world are made up of color, light, and materials that can enhance lives, moods, and human interactions.
”Studying Architecture allowed me to explore my love of design and fascination of light and its effects on color, space, and people's mood.
“Light ‘affects our perceptions by triggering a large number of different stimuli. Light unscrambles chaos, takes the grey out of darkness.’ -Max Keller"
Certifications:
M. Arch | NCARB | California Licensed Architect
TELMA WARD
Designer
With a pervasive history in designing serene places of worship, rejuvenating work environments, enriching education facilities, and lavish retail spaces, Telma brings her Architectural and Interiors wisdom to MC Collaborative Designs, LLC.
Stemming from a quest to help people and impact their way of life, Telma discovered Architecture and a passion of integrating ergonomics and design into daily life. Her love of nature gives her a unique perspective at integrating landscape, interiors, and architecture.
Telma says, “Design is a combination of beauty and function. It is achieved only when a space is functional and pleasant to the eye. I also believe design is a fine balancing act between creativity and maintaining a cost conscious solution.”
‘Good design is not about form following function. It is function with cultural content. By adding “cultural content” to the concept of “form follows function,” objects cease to be finite or predictable. Maybe the right way to interpret the dictum is to first acknowledge that the function needs to be clearly understood before the form is considered.’
-Carl Magnussen
Certifications:
CREA 7313 (Conselho Regional de Engenharia, Arquitetura)