"If you don't go, you won't know" - Marcus Warren '88
Monday, 21 January 2019
Living on the edge and challenging yourself may sound like new-age mumbo jumbo, but the maxims hold true according to Marcus Warren '88. "Auckland Grammar School has a very high reputation for academic rigor and success, where each cohort completes external examinations each year to prepare themselves, not only for the rest of their tenure at the School, but also for tertiary studies. Students build up a great sense of direction, a 'never give up' attitude, great work ethic and a lifelong connection with friends," says Marcus.

"Auckland Grammar provided me with a fantastic group of friends that I continue to be influenced by to this day. Stepping into the big world on your own after University was a little daunting but it was easy to find inspiration when it was standing right next to you. I am very proud of my time at the School and the role it had to play in the development of my life."

A student in the mid-level streams through his time at Grammar, Marcus fondly remembers his time as a member of the 1st XV. "Being a part of the unbeaten team that won the Top 4 competition in 1992 was certainly memorable." He also remembers how proud he felt when his friends in the Senior Eight Rowing crew returned from the National Championships with the Maadi Cup for the first time in the School's history.

However, it is one of the School's other traditions that has stuck with him. "The School song has also managed to cement itself in my brain as I recalled it on a few occasions as I sung my daughters to sleep when they were young!"

Now a renowned architect, Marcus moved to Dunedin and completed his Bachelor of Arts, majoring in design studies in 1998. After working under Andre Hodgskin at Architex, Marcus moved to the United Kingdom with a job opportunity with Architectural firm Aedas in 1999, at the start of his overseas adventure, where he met business partner (and now wife) Alithea Johns, a landscape architect.

Marcus and Alithea enjoyed many summers at her family's holiday home in Kassiopi on the island of Corfu, Greece. One half of the year is a "predictably dry summer, boatloads of tourists enjoying the spoils of sun-drenched beaches, freshly cooked Greek cuisine and numerous social occasions", while the other half sees 1.5m of rain fall each year.

After four years of visits, the two took the plunge and set up their business, Skoposdesign in 2004. Marcus was incredibly fortunate enough to collaborate with Robert Turner, a former partner of Skidmore Owings & Merrill who have 10 offices spread across Europe, Asia and the United States. "At Skoposdesign, we primarily design and build second homes and landscape gardens. Alithea is more client and management focused, while I am more designed focused."

However, working and living in a foreign country did come with its share of challenges. "At the time it was extremely easy to take the leap to start our business, as I was already working abroad and our naivety for business management didn't alert me to the difficulties ahead, especially the somewhat Mediterranean approach to civil service management.
"We were fortunate to have a base and subsequent connections in which to grow our business and over time we have adapted and built up a fantastic array of clients a very beautiful part of the world."

Every project that Marcus and Alithea work on offers something unique, but it was building their own home that offered the greatest sense of achievement. "It was all hands-on deck over a two-year period as we invested in ourselves and built Corfu's first Passivhaus (a way of energy efficiency building to reduce the building's ecological footprint), which we rent out in the summer and enjoy for ourselves in the winter.

"I can recall the stress of building while running our business, parenting two young children and fearing a Greek economic collapse, but thankfully the guest's appreciation has made all of that a distant memory. That and a photograph of the garden winning first place in the 2018 European Garden Photography Award."

Working and living overseas, especially in a country where English isn't the first language, can be somewhat of a daunting experience. However, Marcus has taken it in his stride and encourages others to take the leap. "If you don't go, you won't know. Life is short so don't waste too much time with decision making. Don't be afraid to make mistakes, try and learn from them."