ABOUT
THE DESIGN STUDIO
Mary Dooley and Chris Lynch, Principal Architects, have dedicated their lives to the art and craft of Architecture and Design for custom homes, hospitality and non-profit work, new builds, restorations and adaptive repurposing. Their work has resulted in happy clients and well built, award winning projects in Northern California.
Meeting at U.C. Berkeley, their foundation of ideas includes house as self, ethnography studies, a tested design process, passive methodologies enhanced by new technologies. With a deep love of site planning and earth integrated design, they are intent on reimagining how to work, live, and play in a changing world .Always learning, they are guided by a deep responsibility to the ecosystems and inhabitants. This mission is simple – to create beautiful spaces for people integrating purpose while discovering the nature of place itself.
Chris grew up in San Francisco and was always sketching/ cartooning during parochial school much to the consternation of the nuns. He continued his passion for drawing with a degree from UC Berkeley in architecture and now has 30 years behind him of original design solutions. With over 100 residential projects in Marin and Sonoma, Chris’ recent neighborhood project is attracting attention as a solution to single family homes with community. His approach to design starts with the site where the solution is exposed rather than imposed. Free from any preconceived architectural baggage, and an emphasis on honest materials, the results are authentic, warm and sometimes playful. For fun, (and peace of mind) he’ll be found at the gym, running or mountain biking. At home…reading or sketching.
Chris Heath
Baloo joined the office in summer of 2016 with no skills other than general cuteness. Since his internship with MAD he has learned to gently greet clients and colleagues, quietly stay in his place and provide the studio with an outlet for playfulness. Skills include leaping ball catch, sliding ball catch, goalie, and receiver of attention. Newest tricks: backpacking and bear protection.