Carrier Johnson + Culture (CJ+C), a multidisciplinary architecture and design practice, announced the appointment of Marin Gertler as Design Principal and Firmwide Head of Design. In this leadership role, Gertler will oversee design strategy and execution across the firm’s San Diego, Los Angeles, and Seattle studios, guiding a unified, culture-based design vision that prioritizes both creative excellence and technical expertise.

With over 20 years of experience spanning architecture, real estate development, and urban placemaking, Gertler brings a holistic design approach to the firm, balancing cultural context with client goals. His career includes significant leadership roles at CREARE Collaborative, IQHQ, and Gensler, where he led transformative projects across California, including award-winning technology and life science campuses, urban mixed-use districts, retail, and hospitality environments.

“Carrier Johnson + Culture has a deep legacy of weaving community narratives into design, and I’m excited to help expand that vision,” said Gertler. “My goal is to bring hybrid thinking to every project—combining cultural empathy with technical excellence and always designing with flexibility for the future.”

Gertler’s portfolio includes projects such as One Paseo, a mixed-use benchmark in San Diego that has become a resilient model for post-pandemic urban design, and the Research and Development District (RaDD) along San Diego’s waterfront, where his leadership redefined the public realm to attract top-tier retail tenants and foster community connection.

At CJ+C, Gertler will serve as a catalyst for cultivating talent, facilitate internal design reviews, and elevate the firm’s external reputation through thought leadership and design intelligence. His approach focuses on fostering bold experimentation, continuous learning, collaboration, and creating inspiring, enduring spaces.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Marin to Carrier Johnson + Culture,” said Ray Varela, NCARB, Co-President and Design Principal at CJ+C. “His background bridges architecture and real estate development, which is exactly the kind of leadership we need as we guide our clients through today’s evolving landscape. Marin’s experience in mixed-use, life science, and community-focused design will help us expand the way we think about flexibility, resilience, and long-term value in every project.”

Beyond practice, Gertler is an active voice in the industry. He served on the Executive Board of the Downtown San Diego Partnership and has held leadership roles with the Urban Land Institute (ULI). His accolades include the Global ULI 40 Under 40 award, AIA San Diego’s Young Architect of the Year, and Mentor of the Year Honoree recognition from the San Diego Business Journal.

Gertler holds both a Bachelor of Architecture and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). He has also shared his expertise as an adjunct professor at the New School of Architecture and as a lecturer for USD and UCSD’s graduate real estate development programs.