A son of an artist and cabinet maker, Mark Quattrocchi grew up surrounded by drawings and sawdust, influencing his decision to take drafting as his seventh-grade elective. From this early age, he knew he was going to be an architect. Paying for his architecture education by his carpentry work, he graduated equipped with a Master of Architecture degree and a keen understanding of construction, perfect for opening his own firm, Quattrocchi Architects, in 1986.

Soon after, Quattrocchi got the opportunity to design a new classroom building at Mendocino Community High School in Mendocino, CA. He was so moved by the passion of the teachers and school administrators that he completely immersed himself in the process of educational design. To this day, this ranks as one of his favorite projects because it inspired him to veer the firm to be educationally-focused. Later, Steve Kwok joined as partner in 1993, and together they built Quattrocchi Kwok Architects (QKA), a thriving K-12 and higher education firm with two office locations and a staff of more than 60 people.