Mark Schwettmann

Mark Schwettmann is a Director based in SOM’s San Francisco office. With a diverse range of international experience in major mixed-use, residential, corporate, hospitality, and academic projects, he is also deeply involved in improving the built environment of San Francisco, his home city.

In his role as Director and Studio Head, he manages and mentors a group of design professionals working around the world, but particularly in San Francisco. In addition to these responsibilities, he leads the Digital Design Group in the firm’s San Francisco office. This group maintains SOM’s position at the forefront of design by integrating leading-edge technology into the design process. The intersection of his lifelong interest in digital technology and the complex issues of building in San Francisco led to the design and construction of SOM’s award-winning San Francisco Digital Context Analysis Model, which is used extensively in all of the firm’s work in the city, and also by government agencies for analysis of complex urban design issues.

With extensive knowledge of the project approval process in the San Francisco Bay Area, Mark has guided many projects through complex public processes. These projects include the Moscone Convention Center Expansion and Improvement Project, the 75 Howard Street residential tower, and 1500 Mission Street, a mixed-use project that will include the offices of multiple San Francisco city departments responsible for the built environment. Mark has also been involved in significant large-scale, mixed-use projects in Shanghai, Guangzhou, Beijing, Fuzhou, and Wuxi, bringing environmental and social sensitivity to the energetic and fast-paced environment of large-scale development in China.