Meet Mark Candelaria | Architect

We had the good fortune of connecting with Mark Candelaria and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mark, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I had been a partner in a very successful architectural firm for some 12 years but that firm was headed more towards commercial work and my passion was with residential work and in particular custom homes and the closer mor intimate relationships that come with that type of work. I really felt it was my time to go on my own and design a few nice homes every year. Now nearly 23 years later, I have designed over a thousand homes across the world. I made the right choice.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
As a residential architectural firm you would think we are about drawing a set of plans for our customers. Yes we do that but that is just one small part of what we are about for our customers. We have transformed our firm into a lifestyle experience. We have learned to celebrate and sell the “experience” of designing and then living in one of our homes.by creating events along the design process and then long after the home is completed through our domestic and European Tours and our cooking experiences all which maintain the relationship between us and our customer long after the plans are completed.

Nothing is easy – it all takes tons of effort and persistence and frankly outlasting situations and always taking the marathon perspective by doing what is right, fair and honest. We want to create timeless architecture coupled with a timeless experience.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are several people who played pivotal roles in my success. My mother and father always encouraged me and taught me my work ethic. My wife, Isabel, provided me with confidence and further encouragement, and my partners and team have all worked so hard to make all of our beautiful projects a reality.

Website: Www.candelariadesign.com

Instagram: CandelariaDesign

Twitter: @CandelariaArchs

Facebook: CandelariaDesign

Youtube: https://youtube.com/user/candelariaDesign

Image Credits
Dino Tonn, Julianne McKay Palmer, Werner Segarra, Mark Boisclair