Mark Frisch

Mark Frisch has spent his professional life developing an understanding of how buildings work and innovating on their integration into the natural and built environments. He currently serves as Principal in Charge of Technical Design at Solomon Cordwell Buenz, responsible for comprehensive technical oversight of all SCB projects, initiatives in innovative materials, systems and sustainability, as well as implementing the firm’s rigorous quality assurance program.

Over 26 years, Mr. Frisch has compiled an extensive and diverse portfolio of work reflecting the development and implementation of technology guidelines for urban high rise sustainable projects, working closely with new-energy partners from around the world. His experience includes institutional, laboratory, transportation, commercial, and residential buildings, with particular expertise in high-rise solutions. Among the projects he has contributed to are: the tallest commercial building at its time in continental Europe, the Messe Tower, the first all-residential tower in the Midwestern United States to achieve LEED Silver certification, 340 on the Park and the tallest residential tower in San Francisco at 641 feet establishes a new benchmark for urban architectural and structural design of tall buildings in an area of high seismicity, One Rincon Hill.

Mr. Frisch has been honored by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) for National Design and by AIA Chicago for Distinguished Building as well as Interior Architecture. His projects have received the Leaf Award for Best Use of Technology and he was awarded first prize in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Sunwall Design Competition.

Mr. Frisch is a member of the American Institute of Architects and Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, with the latter's Sustainability Working Group. He has been appointed to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Homeland Security Advisory Council (HSAC) Sustainability ad Efficiency Task Force where he leads the Energy subgroup. Joining selected national experts from academia, business, government and architecture, Frisch is a leader in the effort to incorporate sustainable practices into DHS operations to enhance national security. Mr. Frisch is also a Board Member of the Sinai Health System and has taught advanced topics in architectural technology, exploring modularity and prefabrications, at the Illinois Institute of Technology.

Before joining SCB in 1999, Mr. Frisch spent 16 years in a variety of roles at Murphy/Jahn including Director of Production, and was involved in many of the firm’s urban high-rise and transportation projects. He received both his Bachelor’s degree with Honors and his Master of Architecture from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he was the recipient of the Long Traveling Fellowship.