MK Designs LLC is a landscape design studio based in scenic Mystic, CT founded by its Principal, Mark Kwan. Mark’s vision and drive are the result of pursuing his passion – garden design. 

Mark was raised in South Shore Massachusetts in a deeply-rooted New England family.  At a young age, Mark gravitated towards three distinct interests that shaped his life’s trajectory.  These included nature/gardening, art, and sports (particularly the game of golf).  Combining these three interests, in his formative years, led Mark to the field of Landscape Architecture.  Mark pursued this field of study at the University of Connecticut, Storrs and graduated with a BSLA in 1997.

Mark has a diverse background in gardening and landscape design, which began during his childhood helping his grandfather in his vegetable garden. He worked summers at a local garden center and at a large entertainment venue overseeing landscape maintenance. Since graduating from UConn, Mark has over 25 years of experience in four New England landscape architecture firms.  His design background includes:  naturalistic Japanese gardens, traditional English perennial gardens, rolling country gardens, high-end estates, formal gardens, and contemporary American gardens.  Mark’s diverse design background allows for great adaptability based on client preferences, project scopes, budgets, and important cues from nature.

Over the course of his career, Mark has worked on a variety of projects ranging in scale from small urban courtyards to sprawling country estates. Projects have involved both new construction and existing home renovations. These projects have included the design of high-end swimming pools, spas, outdoor living terraces, water features, cutting gardens, fire pits, driveway motor courts, walking paths, raised bed vegetable gardens, formal lawns, rooftop gardens, sunken gardens, contemplative gardens, meadows, driveway gates, custom fencing, pergolas, outdoor showers, sport courts, tree houses, and small outbuildings.

Mark has worked on projects all over the northeast U.S. including Stonington, CT; Old Saybrook, CT; East Lyme, CT; Darien, CT; Greenwich, CT; Rye, NY; New York, NY; Scarsdale, NY; Buffalo, NY; Washington, CT; West Hartford, CT; Watch Hill, Westerly, RI; Newport, RI; East Providence, RI; Cape Cod, MA; Brookline, MA; Boston, MA; Sunapee, NH; Exeter, NH; Pittsburgh, PA; Ligonier, PA; and West Palm Beach, FL.

Mark utilizes colorful hand-graphics, schematic modeling, and proficient drafting skills to provide his clients with clearly communicated designs and detailed drawing sets for client presentations, permitting,  contractor bids, and construction.