DFDG Architecture

As a recent graduate, Mackenzie brings a fresh perspective to interior design and a curiosity that continues to grow with every project.

As an Interior Designer at DFDG, she enjoys seeing a design develop from beginning to end and working through the challenges that come with turning ideas into thoughtful, functional spaces. Her experience includes residential, hospitality and higher education design, supported by strong communication, teamwork and organizational skills.

Mackenzie recently earned her BS in Interior Design from Arizona State University, graduating with honors, and is currently working toward NCIDQ certification. Sustainable design is an important part of her approach, with an emphasis on understanding how design decisions affect both people and the environment.

One project that stands out from her time at ASU was an art therapy project where she took on a leadership role, helping guide her team’s design vision from concept through completion. The experience strengthened her communication and organization skills and reinforced something she continues to carry into her career: growth often comes from stepping outside of your comfort zone.

Outside the office, you’ll catch Mackenzie at the gym, hunting for a good thrift find, heading to a concert or movie, or spending time with friends.

Welcome to the team Mackenzie!

This National Construction Appreciation Week, we’re celebrating the contractors who help turn design into reality.

From early coordination through construction, strong partnerships are essential to delivering spaces that serve our communities and stand the test of time. We’re proud to build alongside our contractor partners on projects across Arizona.

Swipe through to see a few of the projects that are currently under construction.

Here’s to great work and the teams who make it happen.

As the new school year starts, the students at Arizona Austism Charter School’s Tucson campus get to experience the new life that DFDG’s design brought to their learning spaces.

DFDG recently completed a tenant improvement, transforming several underutilized spaces into six classrooms, a meeting room, storage and new accessible restrooms. The project also included a fenced outdoor area planned for a future playground.

Working with Arizona Autism Charter Schools and contractor SD Crane Builders, Inc., the team focused on making the most of the existing campus and creating functional spaces ready to support students and staff this school year.

With this phase complete, work is already moving forward on the next set of improvements. DFDG is continuing with Arizona Autism Charter School to add a secure lobby, two conference rooms and new office space, building on the updates already completed across the campus.

Being invested means caring about more than your own piece of the project, it means feeling connected to the outcome and to the people working alongside you.

For Nava Bitaab, that sense of ownership is what makes the work at DFDG meaningful. She sees the success of a project, a client relationship, or the firm itself as something shared, not something tied to one person or one role.

That mindset often means stepping in where she can add value, whether it’s offering additional analysis, helping strengthen a presentation, supporting a teammate, or contributing an idea that can improve the project.

What Nava appreciates most about DFDG is that this kind of initiative is encouraged. Leadership is open to ideas, and team members are trusted to contribute beyond the boundaries of their day-to-day responsibilities.

For Nava, being invested means treating every project as if it were her own and taking pride in the success we create together. It’s that shared sense of ownership that makes her proud to be part of DFDG.

Steven Still brings a career shaped by complex projects, collaboration and a belief that good architecture should serve the communities around it.

As a Senior Project Manager at DFDG, Steven brings experience across aviation, civic and municipal work, leading projects of all sizes and schedules. Most recently, his work has focused on aviation projects across the country, where coordination and problem-solving are essential to keeping complex projects moving.

One project that stands out involved taking a pedestrian walkway at an international airport from early concepts through construction. What sounded simple on paper, a quarter-mile-long walkway, required navigating major utilities, an active tunnel, busy terminal connections and two different building designs. Working closely with the project team through those challenges reinforced the kind of coordination Steven enjoys most.

Originally from North Texas, Steven attended Texas Tech University before making his way west to Phoenix, where the desert quickly became home. He continues to find inspiration in the landscape, often photographing Arizona skies and desert details.

Outside the office, you’ll find Steven spending time with his family and their animals, volunteering with organizations like Canstruction and Habitat for Humanity, or putting his self-described “uncanny” sense of direction and map-reading skills to good use.

Welcome to the team, Steven!

Over the past year, Sean Ragudo has become the person our teams count on, not just to keep projects on track, but to bring people along with him.

As Senior Project Manager, Sean currently leads Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport T3N2 and the Gilbert Advocacy Center Phases 2 & 3, keeping big, complex projects moving without losing sight of the people doing the work.

Just as important is the role Sean has taken on within DFDG. He makes time to teach, mentor and empower others, while contributing to the culture and sense of teamwork that define our firm. It’s an approach shaped by how he views architecture itself, as a responsibility to the client, the people who use the spaces we create, and the larger community.

Congratulations to Sean on his promotion to Associate!

The ASU Health Futures Center has earned LEED Silver® certification under LEED v4.1.

The Health Futures Center was the first building developed through the 20-year partnership between Arizona State University and Mayo Clinic. Its research labs, medical simulation areas, teaching spaces and shared work environments were designed to bring people and ideas together while supporting the future of healthcare in Arizona.

DFDG, along with CO Architects worked alongside Arizona State University and contractor DPR Construction to bring the facility to life.

At DFDG, being responsible with our natural resources is part of designing buildings that last. This certification recognizes the thoughtful decisions made throughout the project to reduce its environmental impact and improve how it performs over time.

What practical sustainability measures are making the biggest difference in your projects?

USGBC® and the related logo are trademarks owned by the U.S. Green Building Council® and are used with permission.

Each year, our team is proud to support St. Mary's Food Bank annual food drive and volunteer efforts. This year, DFDG collected and donated 400 pounds of food, continuing our commitment to supporting Arizona families.

To build on those efforts, members of our team spent last Friday afternoon volunteering at St. Mary’s, where we helped pack 726 boxes of bread!

Giving back to the communities we live and work in is something we truly value, and we’re grateful to continue this tradition year after year.

Learn how you or your team can support St. Mary’s Food Bank: https://buff.ly/WipSFTJ

Adaptability isn't just about responding to change, it's about creating an environment where people can grow, contribute, and bring their unique perspectives to the table.

When Sergio Guzman joined DFDG after beginning his architectural career in Mexico, he was navigating new codes, a new language, and a new way of working. What stood out most wasn't the challenge, it was the people.

From day one, Sergio felt welcomed, understood, and encouraged to bring his experience to the team rather than leave it behind. That support transformed change into opportunity and reinforced what adaptability truly means at DFDG.

For Sergio, adaptability isn't simply adjusting to new circumstances, it's recognizing that different perspectives make us stronger. By embracing diverse experiences and continuing to learn from one another, we create better solutions, stronger teams, and more meaningful design.

We're honored to receive a SMPS Marketing Communications Award of Excellence in the Social Media/Blogs category for DFDG's Trauma-Informed Design Series.

This recognition celebrates more than a communications campaign. It reflects a firmwide commitment to learning a new way to design, one that started with our work on the Gilbert Advocacy Center.

This project, now nearing completion, taught us that Trauma-Informed Design had to be more than an aesthetic choice. Through this initiative, our design team turned that lesson into a practical TID framework and applied it to our process, programming, documentation, and project decisions. The resulting campaign shared both what we learned and how those ideas shaped the work itself, moving TID toward a methodology that can create more thoughtful, responsive environments.

We're proud to see this team effort recognized by SMPS and grateful to everyone who contributed their expertise, curiosity, and perspective along the way.

Read more here: https://smps.secure-platform.com/mca/gallery/rounds/76/details/14633