A restaurant, educational facility, business, and single-family home are more than four walls and a door. They are places where meals are shared, minds are shaped, strategies are executed, and memories are made. They are places where humans feel relaxed, happy, engaged, and productive. The importance of these facilities cannot be understated. Mitchell (Mitch) Ramseur, the founder of M. Ramseur & Associates, understands what goes into designing facilities that bring people together and enjoys turning owners’ visions into reality.
Mitch strives to create an unparalleled client experience as he blends art and science and counsels owners through the design of new homes, commercial construction projects, and tenant buildouts. Prior to forming M. Ramseur & Associates, Mitch has worked on nearly 40 projects, including educational facilities, tenant improvement projects, residential, assembly, mercantile and more.
This real-world experience comes on top of his education, having received a master’s degree in architecture (focus on design) from the world-renowned University of Urbana-Champaign, and a bachelor’s degree in architecture from the legendary HBCU Tuskegee University.
Though his formal education is complete, Mitch never stops learning. He prides himself on maintaining a tireless work ethic and remaining an eternal student. He strives to be better today than he was yesterday and to consistently improve—both professionally and in all facets of life, including for his clients.
A few of the many courses and certifications completed by Mitch include Contract Law from Harvard Law School; Lean Six Sigma White Belt Certification from Management and Strategy Institute; Barrier-Free Design and the 2010 ADA Standards Certificate from NCARB (National Council of Architectural Registration Boards); and the NFPA 101®: Life Safety Code® Certification. NFPA 101 is the most widely used source for strategies to protect people based on building construction and occupancy features that minimize the effects of fire and related hazards. It is also the only document covering life safety in both new and existing structures.
All of these are done to not only expand Mitch’s skillset but also benefit his clients.
Beyond architecture, Mitch is an award-winning artist (Gold Key awards) and former accomplished musician, with the trumpet being his favorite to play. He also enjoys studying designs around the world, as his passport shows travel to destinations such as France, Germany, Spain, and more. Be sure to check out the map to see where Mitch has traveled; you may be surprised.
Mitch treats the “sky as his canvas” on which he paints his architectural design. He intertwines art and science to create spaces that meet owners’ programming needs and have a profound, long-lasting impact on occupants.
Mitch is a registered architect and has NCARB status (National Council of Architectural Registration Boards). He is currently licensed in the states of North Carolina, Alabama, and Georgia.
More than 45,000 architects have an NCARB Certificate—a professional credential that facilitates licensure across borders, provides access to free continuing education, and more.
Mitch is a proud graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign—one of the world’s preeminent research universities and the first public school of architecture in the United States.
Throughout his college career, Mitch completed study abroad programs through both Syracuse University (based in Florence, Italy) and Tuskegee University (based Rome, Italy). He gained a global perspective by observing and analyzing various building designs and spaces of architecture and urban design in Italy, Germany, France, and Spain.
In his more than eight years with the great city of Atlanta, Mitch played a critical role ensuring code compliance for projects submitted for permitting. This ensured the safety of the buildings’ future occupants. In his role, Mitch evaluated thousands of permits including, but not limited to, a combination of whiteboxes, spec suites, TI's (tenant improvements or tenant buildouts), townhomes, freestanding buildings, and other residential and commercial building typologies. Mitch certified they adhered to code compliance with the mandatory and permissive codes within the authority having jurisdiction (Atlanta, Georgia).
Mitch drafted plans for residential projects and created renderings for clients and design contests. Additionally, he reviewed contractor submittals for owner compliance and drafted and executed punch lists for residential projects on behalf of the owner.
M3A Architecture introduced Mitch to every facet of the architectural profession—from preparing and presenting schematic designs, to representing the firm at community-wide functions, to preparing construction documents, to managing bid administration duties, and more. One of many significant projects included developing drawings for a $16 million educational facility; managing the construction administration process for a residential planned unit development; and designing a complete multi-purpose addition to an existing sanctuary.
While with McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture, Mitch gained invaluable knowledge and hands-on experience as a key member of the team. Mitch contributed to numerous commercial and residential projects, including, most notably, an elementary school renovation.
Mitch is a current member of AIA (North Carolina chapter), a leading organization advocating for the value of architecture and upholding the highest ethical standards.
While with M3A Architecture, Mitch served as the firm representative at the Mississippi Conference of Black Mayors.
Aug 2021 – Present
Science and Technology
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is an international nonprofit organization devoted to eliminating death, injury, property and economic loss due to fire, electrical and related hazards.
Technical Committees*:
Fundamentals of Safety to Life
Means of Egress
Mercantile and Business Occupancies
Residential Occupancies
Assembly Occupancies
Educational and Day-Care Occupancies
*NFPA 101 LSC (6) & NFPA 5000 (6)
Oct 2021 – Present
The IS-STSC was convened to develop a proposed new standard, BSR/ICC 903/SRCC 500 for solar hot water storage tanks.
April 2022 – Present
The ARE 5.0 Item Development Subcommittee writes and edits new items for ARE 5.0 (architectural exams that must be passed to gain licensure to practice as an architect).
YAF Summit 30: Mission 2130 - Participant (Selected By Jury)
July - August 2022
Mission 2130 is an application-based attendee event organized by the Young Architects Forum (YAF). The summit seeks to respond to critical issues present in the profession that early career architects are uniquely poised to answer. Mission 2130 will host 50 architects from across the nation to address challenges the profession will face in the next 100 years, focusing on Architecture, Society, and our Planet.
AIA Institute Honor Awards for Collaborative and Professional Achievement Juror
August 2022
The Collaborative Achievement recognizes the excellence that results when architects work with those from outside the profession to improve the spaces where people live and work.
Shared dedication and distinguished achievement earn this award, whose past recipients have included the Post-Sandy Initiative and the National Building Museum.
AIA NJ Annual Service Awards Juror
August 2022
The AIA NJ Annual Service Awards are given to recognize accomplishments of individuals and firms that have provided distinguished service to the profession and to the Society. They are designed to focus on the accomplishments of members and non-members on issues of public awareness of the built environment, service to the community and other non-design aspects of Architecture.
February 2022 - Present
During the off-hours I enjoy giving back and tutoring those pursuing licensure and possessing a strong interest in all things related to the profession!
"Great job outlining the zoning issues for the NOMA conference!
As an experienced architect with lots of planning experience, I know its hard to distill some of this down to a single hour…and to make it accessible for those who don’t usually think about these issues.
Thanks for your work!"
Grace H. Kim, FAIA | Schemata Workshop, Inc.Principal
“I have known Mr. Ramseur for...years. Mr. Ramseur’s commitment to his work, his work ethic, disposition, and professionalism has never (been) compromised. His astute and analytical judgment have yielded impressive design solutions. Mr. Ramseur has exemplary qualities that are essential to successfully carrying out and/or exceeding expectations of all dutiful responsibilities assigned to him.”
Don McCrackin“Over the past 30 years, we have worked with several designers, developers, and architects. Mitchell is one of the most flexible, efficient, and technically adept designers we have encountered. Mitchell clearly and consistently communicated with us through various mediums during the entire design process; from emergency site visits to providing plans digitally. He had an unprecedented response time and availability for recommendations and design solutions.”
Larry and Wanda Durham"I’m grateful for him as he continues to be a support for me in my journey to licensure.”
Lamont Edwards, M.ArchLearn more about
