Gullivar is recognized for his skill in navigating programmatic requirements, regulatory and jurisdictional hurdles, and problematic site conditions to create rich public spaces. With a background in architecture, his expertise ranges from the fine details of building landscapes to planning and managing the firm’s large, complex urban projects. These qualities bring an expanded interdisciplinary perspective to MVVA’s leadership. Since he joined the firm in 1999, he has applied his integrated design approach to challenges such as ecological restoration, flood control, transportation planning, and choreographing connections to parks and waterfronts. Gullivar always aims to tease out the most powerful design solutions within the constraints of budget and site. His projects and research are a laboratory for innovative building methods, communication tools, and project management.

Gullivar received a Master of Architecture from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design, where he was awarded the Araldo A. Cossutta Annual Prize for Design Excellence. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture from Washington University in St. Louis. Gullivar has been a keynote speaker at ASLA conferences and a guest lecturer at Carnegie Mellon University, Harvard University, Bard College, and Columbia University.