Walter Marks

For Walter, being an architect is “not really something I do as much as something I am. It’s a defining part of my life.” He describes healthcare architecture in particular as “a calling. These projects provide areas for caregivers to confidently administer their services, and areas of respite for patients to heal, even if a cure is not possible.” As for other types of buildings, Walter has high praise for the Richard Meier’s Church of the Jubilee in Rome. “A modern iconic designer built a masterpiece,” he says. “It achieves the spiritual uplifting present in the great cathedrals of Italy in a completely unique manner.” Also uplifting for Walter—a self-described huge hockey fan—is the film Miracle, about the US Olympic hockey team’s victory over the Soviet Union in 1980. “Even though I knew the ending, it filled the theater with a sense of awe and pride,” he recalls.