Mark T. Sullivan, AIA, NCARB, CDT Architecture, Construction & Premises Safety Expert

Mark Sullivan is a Texas-based registered architect and construction administration professional with more than 25 years of practical experience. His architectural career began with single-family residential and expanded to include multi-purpose sports facilities, K-12 schools, and higher education facilities. Mark applies his expertise to forensic casework involving premises liability disputes, construction claims, and architectural professional liability.

With experience managing construction projects from schematic building design through substantial completion, Mark is qualified to address functional aspects and potential challenges encountered during the design and construction phase.

Prior to Robson Forensic, Mark was a Design Realization Leader at the global architecture firm of Gensler, where his responsibility included technical development of construction documentation, and management of construction administration. He performed Quality Assurance / Quality Control and documentation peer reviews on projects within the Houston, Miami, Los Angeles, and San Diego offices.

Having designed residential, commercial, and institutional projects, Mark is well versed in applicable codes, accessibility guidelines, and industry standards, and analyzes how building artifacts contribute to safety and hazard mitigation.

Mark earned his Bachelor of Architecture from Louisiana State University. He is licensed in multiple states, including Texas and Colorado, and is certified by the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards. Mark conducts forensic investigations throughout the Southwest from offices in both Denver and Houston. He is a member of the American Institute of Architects, the Texas Society of Architects, and ASTM International. Mark holds additional testing and inspection credentials involving the English XL slip tester, the TRIAX TOUCH surface impact tester, and as a Certified Playground Safety Inspector.

Areas of Expertise

Premises Safety: Slips, trips, fall incidents, walkway construction and safety; slip resistance, investigations and testing, effectiveness of warnings, efficacy of illumination, delineation of hazards in parking lots, stairs, single-rise steps, ramps, corridors, platforms and level changes; walk-off mats; low energy power- assisted doors; and adaptive-reuse of historic buildings.

Construction Materials Failures: Water intrusion related issues; brick, stone, and concrete; gutter and flashing system failures; roofing system failures; parapet wall copings; expansion joint failures; sealant and caulk system failures, window and curtainwall system failures.

Building Design and Planning: Project and design coordination; codes and standards, means of egress, quality assurance/quality control review, and specifications. Residential housing, commercial buildings, K-12 and higher education buildings, athletics, fitness, sports arenas, and multi-purpose facilities.

Sports and Entertainment Facilities: Collegiate and Professional Stadium and Multi-purpose Arenas; retractable seating, fixed and demountable seating, vomitory sizing, sight line studies, concessions, suites, club room, press-box, rigging grid, and catwalks. Athletic practice facilities; gymnasium, weight room, locker room and training room facilities. Turfgrass, synthetic turf, sports flooring, sports equipment, loading docks, scoreboards, ice floor and ice refrigeration equipment.

Professional Practice: Standard of care, Owner Architect Agreements, General Conditions, construction administration, punch lists, submittal review, design errors and omissions, unforeseen and changed conditions, betterment, construction documents and closeout procedures.

Building Failures and Property Damage: Building envelope failure, above grade and below grade waterproofing; walking surfaces and site access, drainage, maintenance related failures, walls, roofs, cladding; excavation, expansive soils & soil treatments, foundation settlement, building systems, and building assemblies.

Conspicuousness of Hazards: Placement, effectiveness, and illumination of warnings; signage; color and contrast of adjacent materials.

Building and Site Safety: Hazards, warnings, stairway tread and landing design, guardrails, handrails and balusters, open-sided drop-offs, ramps, walkways; walkway and surface safety, site and circulation issues, loading areas, accessibility, operations and maintenance, parking lots and parking structures, entrances and wayfinding, means of egress and assembly spaces.

Building Systems and Equipment: Utilities and utility connections, pilings, underpinning, shoring, footings, foundations, structural fill; structural systems, post tensioned and cast-in-place concrete, wood, steel, pre-engineered metal buildings (PEMB); exterior envelope systems, roofing, flashing, windows, storefronts, curtainwalls; doors, windows, hardware; interior and exterior finishes; commercial kitchen equipment, elevators; mechanical, electrical, plumbing systems, fire protection and sprinkler systems.

Accessibility: Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Texas Accessibility Standards (TAS), site accessibility, building accessibility, accessible routes, accessible building components including ramps, entrances, toilet rooms, protruding objects, walking surfaces, curb ramps, signage, and detectable warnings.

Professional Experience

Robson Forensic, Inc

Associate

2022 to present

Provide technical investigations, analysis, reports, and testimony toward the resolution of commercial and personal injury litigation involving: slip, trip and fall injuries, facility conditions, workplace safety, code compliance, standards, accessibility, facility design, construction progress, maintenance, construction failures and claims.

MS Architecture, DBA

Sole Proprietor

2020 to present

Design and construction documentation for residential home additions & renovations in the Houston area.

Gensler

Project Manager/Technical and Realization Leader

2008 to 2022

Technical development of project and construction documentation. Worked on several project types including K-12 Educational Buildings, Higher Education Buildings, Sports Facilities, Multi-purpose Arenas, Critical Facilities and Office Buildings.

Performed Quality Assurance/Quality Control reviews (QA/QC), code analysis and peer reviews for project construction documents and specifications at different phases of development, Building Information Modeling (BIM), performed construction administration tasks; site visits, field reports, photo documentation, web-based construction administration software platforms, pay application review/certification, proposed change order and Change Order review, submittals, RFI’s, contractor construction deficiency tracking/resolution and project close out documentation.

Leo A Daly

Project Manager/Project Architect

1997 to 2008

Documented projects from schematic design through Construction Administration for Higher Education Sports Practice Facilities, Multi-Purpose Arenas and Office Buildings. Produced construction documents and developed exterior details, performed code analysis review, occupancy calculations, egress travel distance calculations, vomitory sizing and egress widths as well as plumbing fixture counts. Coordination and resolution of conflicts between disciplines during design documentation and typical Construction Administration tasks through project close out.

Kevin L Harris AIA Architect

Intern Architect

1995 to 1997

Prepared construction documents for custom homes, residential and commercial addition/ renovations, and participated in construction administration tasks. Performed analysis and documentation of existing conditions for renovation projects.

Professional Credentials

Licensed Architect: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Louisiana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas
Certified by the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB)
CSI Construction Documents Technologist (CDT)
Certified Operator of the English XL Variable Incidence Tribometer (CXLT)
TRIAXTouch Surface Impact Tester #C953
Certified Playground Safety Inspector (CPSI)

Education

Bachelor of Architecture, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Continuing Education

Barrier Free Design & 2010 Standards, December 2022
Lighting the Path for Building Egress Safety, November 2022
Beyond Barrier Free, November 2022
Mold and Moisture Prevention Part I, August 2022
Security and Crash Rated Bollards, July 2022
Building Envelopes Part II: Design Perception and Construction Methods, July 2022
Options for Brick Veneer, July 2022
Oklahoma Architectural Rules Act, May 2022
Subsurface Conditions Part 1: Basic Concerns/Design Information/Division of Responsibilities, April 2022
Why Buildings Fail Part 1: Forces & Destructive Agents: Natural & Human Caused Hazards, March 2022
Understanding the Architect’s Standard of Care, March 2022
Building Envelopes Part I: History and Types, March 2022
Whole Building Energy Performance: Driving Towards Net Zero and Energy Security, February 2022
ADA Persistent Mistakes, November 2021
Protecting the 1st Side of the Building, November 2021
Doors, Frames, and Hardware, November 2021
Texas Accessibility: Inside Edition, September 2021
Natural Stone Facades: An Introduction, September 2021
Pre-Engineered Metal Buildings (PEMB), August 2021
Avoiding ADA Violations, August 2021
Technology Paints & Coatings; Specialty Powder Coating, August 2021
Electronic Leak Detection Testing, Standards, Science, and Practical Applications,
August 2021
Firestop 101: A Life Safety Issue, August 2021
Building Enclosure 101, July 2021
Façade 101: An Overview of Façade Design for Architects, July 2021
Accessible Building Entry Solutions for Historically Significant Buildings, July 2021
Proper Masonry Detailing Techniques, February 2021
Opening Doors to Design Opportunities with the Model Building Codes,
January 2021
Introduction to the Existing IBC, August 2020
Type V Wood Frame Multifamily Design Basics, August 2020
2018 IECC Commercial Electrical Power and Lighting Systems, August 2020
Exterior Cladding and Fire Protection: More Than Skin Deep, May 2020
Advanced Concepts of the IBC-Alternate Methods and Modifications, May 2020
Height and Area Calculations-Choosing the Right Construction Type, May 2020
Means of Egress: Basic Exiting, May 2020
QAQC–Signing & Sealing, April 2020
Unique and Expensive ADA Errors, April 2020
Construction Administration: Communication and Best Practices, February 2020

Professional Memberships

American Institute of Architects (AIA)
Texas Society of Architects (TSA)
ASTM International (Formerly American Society for Testing and Materials)
- Committee F08: Sports Equipment, Playing Surfaces, and Facilities
- Committee F13: Pedestrian Walkway Safety and Footwear
- Committee D08: Roofing and Waterproofing

Speaking Engagements

“School as a Curriculum,” Gulf Coast Green Symposium, August 2014

v. 01/25/23

Related Resources

See All of Mark's Published Content

All Articles