10 Questions for Los Gatos Architect Terry J. Martin

Terry J. Martin, 50, has been in business in Los Gatos since the '90s. His company, Terry J. Martin Associates, A.I.A., specializes in residential and commercial architecture. He started the Los Gatos company in 1992. He has personally lived or worked in Los Gatos since 1972. Martin runs his office along with partner Brad McCurdy and office manager Karla Opp. Its hours of operation are open when customers need its services.

Los Gatos Patch: What did you dream of being as a kid?

Terry J. Martin: I dreamed of being an architect. I loved building stuff as a kid. If I wasn't an architect, I would have been a contractor.

Patch: How does your personality play into your business?

Martin: It's a people-oriented business and you've got to have the personality to deal with the people.

Patch: At what moment did you decide to open a business?

Martin: This is the first business I've owned and it's been 20 years. When I opened the business, there was a downturn in the economy and I found myself without a job. The year was 1992.

Patch: What inspired you?

Martin: The inspiration was that I didn't want to collect unemployment.

Patch: Describe the biggest challenge of owning a business in the town of Los Gatos?

Martin: Being isolated from the bigger metropolitan areas. It's a plus and a minus. We're not downtown San Jose and the plus side is we're not downtown San Jose.

Patch: Describe the best thing about owning a business in the town of Los Gatos?

Martin: Being in Los Gatos, a small town.

Patch: What is one thing you would never change about your business?

Martin: How I interact with people. It's a very personal level of service.

Patch: What is your business' greatest asset?

Martin: I think that it would be an understanding of our clients' needs and wants and making that into their reality and dreams.

Patch: What is your favorite spot in town?

Martin: I have to think about this question for a second. I'm going to go totally off the wall and just say on North Santa Cruz Avenue in downtown Los Gatos.

Patch: What's one thing the community should know about you?

Martin: I've been in Los Gatos a long time and I understand this community.