Sarah Ryan Architect is a leading architecture firm in St. Augustine, Florida, that has been serving the community for over a decade.
The team at Sarah Ryan Architect is involved from concept design to the finished building. Being well-established in the local area allows for collaboration with trusted contractors and consultants such as engineers, landscape architects, and interior designers.
Sarah Ryan Architect specializes in custom residential and historic architecture, as well as commercial and educational services. Consistently contributing to the preservation and beautification of the St. Augustine area, they have extensive experience working with state and local review boards.
A community-based organization, Sarah Ryan Architect is committed to preserving the unique character of their historic, coastal town as they approach each project with a fresh perspective and design that is responsive to the client and context.
SARAH RYAN – ARCHITECT
2014-CURRENT
Sarah knew she wanted to be an architect from the early age of 7 while growing up just outside of Washington DC. Sarah says she was inspired by the “National Gallery of Arts East Building, designed
by I.M. Pei, and the beautiful Calder sculptures in the atrium.”
Although her parents pleaded with her to become an engineer, she persisted in her architecture dreams and, in 2004, she obtained a Master of Architecture from Virginia Tech.
Sarah spent many wonderful years in Washington DC working at Cunningham | Quill Architects, and then spent two years working at an architecture firm in Bergen, Norway. Eventually, in 2014, she and
her husband moved to St. Augustine, Florida.
Since then, Sarah has focused on building a community-focused firm, offering a customized experience for each client. Sarah is dedicated to preserving the beauty of the St. Augustine area and has served on local planning and zoning boards since 2014.
MARK MCCONNEL – architect
2018-CURRENT
Mark was born in Paris, France and though he left when he was a toddler, he returned for a few years as a young adult. He has lived mostly in Virginia and holds degrees from UVA and MIT.
Mark has been engaged in design work for more than 40 years. His favorite project is a sustainable timber-frame village center complete with a performance stage, indoor pool, and fitness center that
was constructed using mass timbers harvested from the property using draft horses.
Mark is extremely project-oriented and feels happiest when he has a personal construction project in the works in addition to his professional architecture designs.
When asked what inspires him, Mark says, “Santiago Calatrava’s Lyon station is probably the most beautiful and inspiring modern work of architecture on the planet.”
SAM FUDALA – ARCHITECTURAL ASSOCIATE
2023-CURRENT
Sam, a graduate of The Ohio State University, is from the beautiful city of Cincinnati.
He starts most days with a coffee and smoothie, then spends the next eight hours dreaming and drawing. Since Sam is the “youngest” in the office, he often finds himself troubleshooting a litany of IT issues.
Sam is proud of his recent involvement in a project with Sarah Ryan Architect – an affordable housing center for the homeless.
Sam says, “I’m inspired, architecturally, by bird nests, sandcastles, and self-organizing organic systems.”
Sam enjoys spending his free time training Sponch, his cat, to do a variety of tricks, including high-fiving and jumping onto his shoulder on command.
TODD THATCHER – DRAFTER
2017-CURRENT
Born and raised in Houston, TX, Todd moved to Central FL in 1989. He and his wife have 6 kids, who motivate him to be his best self and to succeed beyond their expectations.
Todd has been working as an architectural drafter for over 30 years and started his own residential drafting business in 1997. Having worked with many architects over the years, Todd started collaborating with Sarah Ryan in 2017.
Todd says, “You may be surprised to know, that my family considers me a jack of all trades. Whether it’s fixing cars or handling home repairs, I take on various roles to ensure everything runs smoothly in our household.”
Jess Jeffrey – Administrative Assistant (University of Florida)
2024-CURRENT
Jess was born and raised in Auckland, New Zealand, but she moved to St. Augustine, Florida with
her family in 2013. Jess says, “One of my favorite parts about living in St. Augustine is admiring the
Spanish colonial architecture in the historic district because it feels like stepping back in time.”
A graduate of the University of Florida, Jess balances her professional endeavors as the owner of
Understanding Orgo, an organic chemistry tutoring business, and as an administrative assistant for
Sarah Ryan Architect.
Sara McCarter – ACCOUNTS MANAGER (VIRGINIA TECH)
2019-CURRENT