DIALOG is pleased to welcome Mark Hentze to the practice, who brings more than 25 years of experience as an accomplished architect. Prior to joining our practice, Mark was a leader with high-profile firms in North America, including Interplan, PBK (now Arch 49), and most recently as a Partner with CEI Architecture (now HDR Architecture). 

Recognized for his breadth of knowledge in sport and recreation design, Mark will further bolster DIALOG’s expertise in this area, working closely with DIALOG Partner Marion LaRue, pursuing community and high performance recreation projects. “If I have a specific fire that burns,” says Mark “its the idea of developing the best sport and recreation practice in the country, which is the primary reason I wanted to join DIALOG.”

Having developed more than 90 sport and community projects across Canada and internationally, included among Mark’s notable projects are the Steppe Arena in Ulaanbataar, Mongolia, the Aldergrove Credit Union Community Centre and Delbrook Recreation Centre in British Columbia, the Nexsource Centre in Sylvan Lake, Alberta, and the Paul Reynold Centre in Newfoundland, which was awarded the Lt. Governors Award in Architecture. 

Mark sits as Chair of the IAKS Ice Facilities Design Experts Circle, and was a contributing author to the recently published Understanding the Active Economy and Emerging Research on the Value of Sports, Recreation and Wellness.

Reflecting on what drew him to specialize in this area of architecture, Mark explains “At first, it was a way for an ex-athlete to stay connected to sports in a rewarding way. Now it’s more about how, in an increasingly regulated and systematized design world, sport and recreation buildings usually provide opportunity for unique solutions that reflect the character and aspirations of a community. I like that each project ends up being quite unique as a result.

There is also opening day and when you get a chance to experience kids grinning as they go down a water slide or skate out onto the ice for the first time. That’s a pretty special feeling.”

Mark can be reached at mhentze@dialogdesign.ca.