PRINCIPAL
Mark was raised in horse country—Los Altos Hills, to be exact—which makes the fact that he’s a motor head, and has been restoring classic cars since he was a kid, kind of a head-scratcher. But then Mark is the sort that has always followed his heart. Which explains why his plan to study automotive technology turned into a degree in psychology from the University of Colorado, neither of which have anything to do with construction, by the way.
Having been raised in a family where broken things were repaired or rebuilt rather than discarded, Mark took a job doing handy-man work and rental property maintenance while in Boulder. Sort of a natural extension of his upbringing, it was an experience that introduced him more formally to the building trades and, more importantly, kindled his love for older homes, as many of the rentals were historic buildings with details and elegance rarely found today.
After graduation, and armed with his psychology degree, Mark became a carpenter (naturally) building high-end custom homes in the Boulder area. This opened his eyes to the colossal waste generated by poorly designed or improperly managed construction projects. The pivotal moment came when he watched a load of brand new materials being offloaded directly into a dumpster—materials that couldn’t be used due to failed communications. Mark knew that he couldn’t affect change as a carpenter, so he returned to school, completing his Masters of Architecture, with a focus in sustainable design and design/build project delivery in 2009.
After an initial stint at a highly regarded sustainable architecture firm, Mark took a job with a small general contractor where, along with a colleague from school, he was able to develop systems and direct the firm towards a focus on truly responsible design involving rammed-earth, straw-bale, timber-frame, and conscientious construction, with a particular emphasis on buildings that were actually organic to the degree that they could, astonishingly, be composted at the end of their service life.
In 2013, Mark returned to the Bay Area to start a family. It was then that he ultimately connected with Brian at Mediterraneo, and is now a principal and co-owner.
Mark’s passions include spending time with his family ( wife, two kids, a dog and a cat), extended family (all the grand-parents are in the area), wood-working, restoring classic cars (240Z, 280ZX, MGB), gardening, brewing, mountain and road biking, skiing, camping, and anything that gets him outside.