John Turk, AIA
Principal, Maine Licensed Architect

I was born in Gulfport, Mississippi and as a son of an officer in the US Air Force experienced the physical and human culture of various regions including Hawaii, Virginia, Colorado, Pennsylvania and Washington State. This travel instilled in me a distinct sense of the uniqueness of place. Immediately after graduating from college a group of friends and I traveled to Maine where I was struck by the connection Mainers have with the land, the sea and the elements. I had found home.

As a founding partner my goal was to establish an architecture practice where our projects would be informed by our shared cultural heritage and by a unique sense of what could be. Our preservation projects have exposed me to the inherent aesthetic and intelligent craftsmanship of local traditional building methods. Structures have a story to tell in terms of proportion, response to the elements and human need and understanding of what lasts and why it's good. I've seen the individual hand of stone masons on blocks of granite at Portland City Hall, timber framing of the attic and belvedere at Liberty Hall that employs boat making techniques, and the transformation of water and wind power into the workings of two grist mills. I've learned to have respect for the skill, knowledge and effort that stands as witness to the success of these collective efforts and strive to employ this understanding to our new construction projects.

I received a Bachelor of Architecture from Pennsylvania State University and I studied architecture for a year at the University of Florence in Italy. My love of design and of Portland has led me to various public service commitments including many years on the boards of Architalx, Portland Society of Architects and the Portland Historic Preservation Commission.