Meet Mark Steppan | Member Spotlight


He chose architecture in high school, partly inspired by his family’s trips to Europe and after learning more about his great-grandfather who was an accomplished artist and architect in St. Louis (where his mother was born). On his trip, he admired the beautiful buildings and churches. He also had a keen interest in art. His love of art, photography, and his interest in geography led him to look at architecture as a career. He was a track athlete in high school and had just completed a track camp at UC Berkeley, so he combined his college track career with his architecture plans, leading him to UC Berkeley, the only school where he applied.
Mark sees many changes in architecture, including space rentals, student housing and tenancy, especially on the heels of Covid-19. However, he misses the pre-pandemic in-person connection in the workplace. As a leader, he sees the future of the workforce as becoming hybrid and finds the mentoring portion of that more challenging than the previous in-person office experience.
He is currently working on a home he has designed with his wife and son, which he is particularly proud of. It is a beautiful space in the mountains with glass walkways overlooking a meadow. He is very proud of this collaboration with his family, who he skis, golfs, and travels with. Mark is an avid golfer who plays in many tournaments. He is in the top 2% of amateur golfers in the United States from a handicapping standpoint and his whole family plays. He also played the trumpet for many years in symphonies and orchestras in high school and in a jazz band. He has started playing again recently as well. Music, like architecture, is part math and creativity, so it’s no wonder Mark excels at both.