Bradford J. McNamee AIA Architect

1956 - 2020 Bradford J. McNamee, global hospitality architect, Senior Vice President and former Board member of WATG, the Irvine, California-based design firm, died Friday July 17th at his home in San Juan Capistrano, California after a six-year battle with ALS. Though diagnosed in 2014, McNamee continued in his role with WATG and was still "in the saddle" designing in the hours leading up to his death. He was 64. Born in Seattle, Washington, McNamee graduated with honors and a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from California State Polytechnic University in San Luis Obispo in 1982 after growing up in Corona del Mar. He joined WATG in 1987 and through the course of his 33-year tenure designed 38 built projects in 10 countries. During his time with WATG, McNamee worked on 240 architectural projects around the world. McNamee left an indelible mark on the global hospitality industry, designing hotels and resorts for Conrad, Four Seasons, Hilton, Hyatt, InterContinental, ITC, Le Meridien, Loews, MGM, Montage, Oberoi, Raffles, Regent, Renaissance, Ritz-Carlton, Sofitel, St. Regis, Viceroy, Westin and W Hotels. McNamee designed the first Ritz-Carlton in India in Bangalore and the first Ritz-Carlton resort in China in Sanya. McNamee leaves a legacy of exceptional design. His dedication to his craft and to his WATG team was nothing short of heroic. He instilled a passion for, and commitment to, creative excellence amongst his team. His spirit, fortitude and fearlessness will be deeply missed. McNamee leaves behind a portfolio of built work around the world that will forever reflect his extraordinary talent and his love of design and travel. McNamee served as senior project designer for many of the firm's award-winning projects, including House of Blues in Hollywood, California; Broken Top Club in Bend, Oregon; The Langham Huntington in Pasadena, California; St. Regis Hotel in Singapore; Four Seasons Anguilla; Ritz-Carlton Xi'an, China and Hollywood & Highland in California. McNamee is survived by his wife and childhood sweetheart, Mari, their daughter, Marisa, sisters Laura McNamee and Paula McCann and his beloved mother Esther McNamee.