We are excited to welcome Chris Matava to the Sebago Technics team as our newest Landscape Designer!
With over 20 years of experience in landscape design, including time with his own firm and landscape contractors, Chris brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to our team. He is well-versed in state and local regulations, plans/specifications, and construction, and holds both a B.S. in Landscape Horticulture from the University of Maine and a Masters in Landscape Architecture from SUNY – Syracuse.
We are thrilled to have Chris on board and look forward to seeing the beautiful outdoor spaces he designs for our clients.
#LandscapeDesigner #LandscapeArchitecture #Maine #ShapingTogether #CreativeEngineeringCollective #EmployeeOwner #ESOP
Where did you grow up and what other places have you lived in throughout your life?
I was born in Cleveland, Ohio but our family moved to Deer Isle, Maine when I was 7. After college at UMaine, I lived in Connecticut and Syracuse, NY (grad school) before moving back to Maine.
Favorite place(s) to go in Maine?
Morse Mountain and Popham Beach in Phippsburg, the Bold Coast in Cutler, hiking in the mountains in Western Maine, Coastal Maine Botanic Gardens in Boothbay, and the Farnsworth Museum in Rockland.
What three traits define you?
Quietly confident, kind, and hardworking.
What was your very first job, and what did you learn from it?
Digging clams in the cove in our backyard at age 9. I learned that I liked hard work and working with my hands.
What is your favorite part of the type of work that you do?
I like that in the field of landscape design we combine art and science and get to leave an imprint on the landscape.
What was your journey like to get where you are?
Growing up on an island made me appreciate the natural world and impacted my decision to study horticulture and landscape architecture. I’m passionate about design and plants so landscape design was a natural fit. It’s the only work I’ve ever done or wanted to do.
What are your hobbies outside the office?
I love to work in my gardens, which I find therapeutic. I visit nurseries regularly just to see what’s new and to be inspired. Open water swimming, hiking, and biking on roads and trails.
What inspired you to work for Sebago Technics?
After years of working on just residential projects, I was seeking a place where the projects are more diverse and to push myself professionally.
Favorite thing to do in Maine?
Be near, in, or on the ocean.
If you had to eat one meal, every day for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Fish Tacos.
If you were an animal what would you be and why?
A bird. No stop signs or slowdowns when I travel.
Where would you like to go on a dream vacation?
New Zealand.
Favorite Holiday and why?
Thanksgiving. Great meal and no expectations.
What is the best concert you attended?
U2.
Tell us something that might surprise us about you.
I have 7 siblings.
I was part of a commercial for a Portland radio station.
What are your favorite ways to enjoy the outdoors with friends and family?
Cookouts, swimming, and hiking in the summer, skiing in the winter.
When you think about working at Sebago Technics, what makes you proudest or most excited?
Working as part of a team with talented landscape architects and engineers.
