Twenty-five years in the fields of design, building, and high-end materials, coupled with my natural gift of visualizing space, amount to one-of-a-kind designs that express the owner’s taste and give their home the right feel.
Mark Groody
About Mark
As a life-long Marin and Sonoma native, I am keenly aware of the aesthetic history of this area. By drawing from that experience, and incorporating many other styles, I succeed in helping projects reach their full potential by balancing livability, views, natural light, and location – whether it’s new or a remodel.
I’ve worked for many local individuals, developers, contractors, and business owners who prefer to work with an architect one-on-one instead of a larger firm. Past clients have included those needing rescue when others have dropped the ball, or their project is bogged down in meeting community guidelines.
Unlike many high-priced firms where ego drives the design, my clients find me to be uniquely creative, an excellent listener, and flexible with changes of direction. I am easy to get along with, humorous, have a friendly nature, yet I’m detail oriented, and a good problem-solver.
I believe the designer’s job should never be about pushing their own agenda, the current design fad, or obligating the client to costly adornments. I never rush people to make decisions for my benefit; I always offer many alternatives so the final decisions are well thought out.
Approach
I look for unique ways to enhance and improve the existing home’s natural character, or impart to it a new personality, whether through simple interior wall changes or expanding outside the box. I like to impart a sense of grandness as people enter each room, while offering areas of cozy comfort.
Difficult building sites and restrictive community standards are no problem for me; I’ve worked successfully in Tiburon, Sausalito, Carmel, the S.F. Peninsula, as well as the historic, coastal, and vineyard areas of the North Bay.
Perhaps most importantly, my clients get the full service of a firm, with the added personal attention, economy and experience of an individual. I support the project from start to finish – from submitting the permit application, to attending meetings and making site visits during construction.
SERVICES
Design & Consultation
I offer full residential design and building plan services, for small, partial, or large projects, ranging from brand new homes, remodels or additions, to focusing on single areas such as Kitchens, Baths, Master Suites, Decks, Home Offices, Entryways, Lighting Design, Cabinets, Built-ins, Media Rooms, Music Studios, Exterior Facelifts, Outdoor Living Areas Stables, Cabanas, Shop / Craft / Hobby Buildings, and Meeting / Performance Halls, Public Address Systems. Other past projects have included lot splits, condo conversion projects, minor subdivisions, review of third party plans, site evaluations, and objective review of projects under-construction.
I employ an economical two-phase approach that helps avoid running up large fees, they are: the Design Phase, and the Working Drawings Phase.
Preliminary Design Plans
This phase provides an accurate map of the existing building, and scale drawings of some design options. While the design work is underway, I always account for the effect that the Building Codes and the structural elements, such as beams, columns and framing will have, so that time is not lost in having to redesign down the road. I usually find clever ways of incorporating and hiding the structural within the design.
Basic Building Plans
Basic plans include fully dimensioned construction details with code notations for obtaining a permit, but leaves the task of selecting the finish materials to the Client.
Comprehensive Plans
Comprehensive plans include my help with selecting and creating a list of the finish materials. By specifying the doors, windows, cabinets, flooring, fixtures, appliances, trim, paint, right on the plans, the bidding Contractors will be pricing the same things, making it easier to compare them, and set a budget. The landscape and hardscape can be addressed also.
Planning Department & Design Review Plans
Some communities require ‘Board’ approval for a project before the building permit is applied for. I assist with the application, and create plans that show the exteriors, and indicate how the proposed usage of the parcel fits the Zoning District guidelines. I have successfully represented and won 100% of the reviews I have submitted, often with very minor modifications to the design.
State Licensed Services
When plans require licensed ‘stamping’, structural calculations, or engineering, to satisfy the City/County Building Department, an economical “in house” licensed Architect and Engineer are available as needed.
Projects