Principal Resume
Chris Dorman’s interest in architecture began at an early age as he watched his parents’ home being built. His fascination with construction and design carried through his undergraduate studies at University of California, Berkeley, where he received a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture and he obtained valuable experience in the building industry through summer employment. After Graduating from Berkeley in 1991, Chris traveled extensively through Europe and then returned to design and build several of his own structures. He completed his education by obtaining a Masters in Architecture at the University of Oregon in 1996.

While pursuing his Masters at Oregon, Chris focused on building practices and architectural research, including extensive investigation of affordable and residential housing design, passive solar energy efficient design, and the use of alternative ‘green’ building materials.

In 1996, he joined the San Rafael firm of Chris Lamen and Associates and achieved associate status three years later. Assignments on which he worked ranged from a 193-unit, transit-oriented affordable housing project to a senior center and accompanying 43-unit housing development.

Since opening his own San Rafael firm in late 2001, Chris Dorman has undertaken a range of single-family and commercial building assignments as well as been intimately involved in a challenging joint venture with a prominent regional firm to develop a unique 18-unit custom home development in the Capay Valley which has attracted media attention for its striking and complex architecture as well as use of cutting edge “Green” building materials.