“I loved architecture ever since I was a little boy, and the best weekends were spent with my mother at model home tours. That began the spark of my creativity, and it hasn’t stopped ever since. I had the opportunity to work with George Christensen for 18 years, who was my mentor at CCBG. When he retired, I felt it was the time to go out on my own and start Candelaria Design. I began my company in my dining room with two dogs and my drafting table. Looking back and seeing where we are now 17 years later, I truly believe that you have to love what you do in order to be successful and surround yourself with like-minded and talented people. We have all heard that a million times, but it is so true. I love my team like family. My goal when creating the firm was to create an experience for our clients, not to just give them a set of plans. Throughout the years, I have emphasized the importance of that goal to my team. Designing a home for someone is at times taken for granted by architects. I whole-heartedly feel it’s an honor when you are asked to design a dream home for someone and their family.” –Mark Candelaria, Principal, Candelaria Design