As a kid, I wanted to design roller coasters, and that instinct never really left; but now I get to put the bones into buildings instead – figuring out what a structure wants to be. People see the architect and the builder, but structural engineers are the ones quietly making sure everything stands up and keeps people safe when the wind blows or the ground shakes.”
Like any engineer, Mark’s structural career started with Legos… along with software games “Roller Coaster Tycoon” and “Sim City” – all instrumental in capturing his early interest in structural engineering. Today, he works on all types of buildings throughout Montana and intermountain region, focusing primarily on high-end, single-family structures. Most of them locally right here in the Flathead Valley! Other notable projects have included Glacier Gateway Elementary School, the ILC Lofts at Buffalo Hill and Skybridge Connector, and The Thermal Club, which features dozens of villas and commercial buildings.
Mark has been active in developing client connections and mentoring new employees and sits on the Flathead Building Association’s Committee for Young Professionals and previously on the committee for the Discover Kalispell Chamber of Commerce’s Flathead Area Young Professionals.
What was your favorite class in college? I enjoyed my structural capstone course where we were tasked with designing an office building using everything we had learned during our undergraduate studies.
If you weren’t an engineer, what would you be? Travel Videographer
What is your favorite place, building, or built environment at your current city of residence? My Favorite Place is in the mountains, the built environment here pales in comparison to the one not built by our hands. That being said, my favorite “built” environment is my home with my wife and children.
