David Martin is the third generation of architects to join A.C. Martin Partners, founded in 1906 by his grandfather,
Albert C. Martin. David became a member of the family firm after completing his undergraduate degree at the
University of Southern California School of Architecture in 1966 and his master's degree at
Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture a year later. According to the
Los Angeles Times, A.C. Martin Partners is responsible for more than half of all major buildings erected in downtown Los Angeles since
World War II, including landmark corporate headquarters, civic buildings, theaters, churches and more. Many of the firm's projects were erected in the period following World War II, when growth and confidence typified
Southern California, says David Martin in an interview for the
National Building Museum in
Washington, D.C.: “The work the firm created at the time — for TRW, the
Department of Water and Power, and more — expressed a faith in the future.” , A.C. Martin Partners’ chief executive officer is David's cousin and fellow architect, Christopher C. Martin. Christopher is a founding member of the Los Angeles Business Improvement District, which has championed the area's economic vitality while improving its friendliness and safety, according to the
Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce. Among other honors, David and Christopher were named USC Distinguished Alumni in 2006. Often accompanying David Martin's designs are public art installations, including works by leading artists
Mark di Suvero,
Bruce Nauman,
Frank Stella,
Robert Rauschenberg, and
Michael Heizer in the plaza of the former Wells Fargo Headquarters at
444 South Flower.
The Architect’s Newspaper called the plaza “an inspiration for the rest of the city.” The interiors of David Martin's designs also feature artists. The Fish Interfaith Center at
Chapman University, in
Orange, California, uses the works of
Lita Albuquerque, Richard Turner,
William Tunberg,
Norie Sato, and Susan Nardulli to evoke a spiritual journey. “In ecclesiastical design, architecture orchestrates a path from the material to the spiritual,” says Martin in an article in
Interior Design magazine. According to the article, visitors pass by a minaret-like tower and a garden of herbs and grasses before entering the building via a colonnade and stainless-steel-and-glass doors. Once inside the sanctuary, they see a gold-colored anodized-aluminum altarpiece depicting the sun and moon and brightly colored art-glass windows, among other works. In comparing the Fish Interfaith Center to
Le Corbusier’s
Nôtre Dame du Haut, in
Ronchamp,
France,
Interior Design called the correspondence “divine inspiration.” Martin is a self-described artist and craftsman who watercolors and fabricates furniture, lamps, and other objects. He also teaches furniture design classes at USC's School of Architecture. He has long partnered with his wife, Mary Klaus Martin, to make many contributions to their city. David is on the board of
Los Angeles Conservancy, while Mary has been board chairperson of the Cultural Heritage Commission, among other posts. The
American Institute of Architects recognized her civic involvement with its Good Government Award in 2008. Mary is also a member of the
Kennedy Center’s National Committee for the Performing Arts, in Washington, D.C., and she and David are supporters of New York City–based dance company
Ballets with a Twist. ==References==