Melissa Watts, AIA Senior Associate Senior Architect

Melissa joins LAWSON with significant experience in all aspects of broadcast facility design. Building on ten years as a project manager in Corporate Real Estate for a major media company, five years as the broadcast practice area leader for an international design firm, and even six months of hands-on experience carving one of the first on-air newsrooms out of a ballroom, Melissa has a deep understanding and respect for the broadcast industry. Melissa has unparalleled experience with facility solutions for media companies nationwide. She has managed multi-phase, complex projects for clients including media, communications, and corporate users. Melissa offers critical expertise with strategic facility planning, project team leadership, design development, contract negotiation, cost estimation and control, scheduling, and construction management. Selected Projects AARP Conference Room Technology Upgrade, Washington, DC, 13,350 S.F., Conferencing centers, Board Room and Executive Conference Room redesign, Owner’s Representative AARP Broadcast Center, Washington DC Headquarters; 9,000 S.F., control rooms, edit rooms, full support space, Project Manager CNN, Washington DC News Bureau, 85,000 S.F., Newsroom, control rooms, technical areas, security, offices redesign, Project Manager Bloomberg News, Washington, DC News Bureau, 24,000 S.F., New Facility, Project Manager Cincinnati Enquirer, Cincinnati, OH, 95,000 S.F., New Facility, Lease Negotiation, Programming, Design, Project Management, Owner’s Representative The Jackson Clarion Ledger, Jackson, MS, 165,000 S.F., Press, Mailroom, Newsroom Addition, Capital Plan, Programming, Design, Team Management, Owner’s Representative National Public Radio, Washington, DC, 265,000 S.F., Strategic Plan, Real Estate Analysis, Programming, Project Manager USA Today, Arlington, VA, Newsroom redesign, New York, NY, USAT Money News Bureau, Owner’s Representative WKYC, Cleveland, OH, 85,000 S.F., Capital Plan, Site Acquisition, Programming, Team Management, Project Manager WUSA, Washington, DC, 215,000 S.F., Capital Plan, Site Acquisition, Programming, Team Management, Owner’s Representative Education Masters of Architecture, Georgia Institute of Technology Masters of City Planning, Georgia Institute of Technology Architectural Registration District of Columbia Professional Affiliations American Institute Of Architects Washington Executive Broadcast Engineers