Developer enjoys working in 'very tangible business'.

PATRICK Roberts' interest in buildings was inspired by a trip to Hawaii when he was a child.

The young Roberts was dazzled by the hotels with their expansive lobbies, colorful landscaping and exotic pools--all in a world class settings.

"I remember thinking that I either wanted to be a contractor or an architect," said Roberts, the project manager of California Landmark, a Westwood-based company developing and financing commercial and residential real estate.

Roberts began his career in 1998 as a land developer in Los Angeles with Morley Builders, a Southern Californian building contractor. He worked on several projects for Morley, including the Westwood Center on Glendon Avenue.

"It was a wonderful experience where I worked hand in hand with the owner/developer and was able to meet and work side by side with many interesting people," he said.

In 2002, Roberts joined RAD Development, a live/work condominium developer, as development manager. With RAD, Roberts participated in various projects: the Venice Art Lofts, 1100 Wilshire building and the Dogtown Station project in Venice, to name a few.

As a land developer, Roberts has been involved in every aspect of developments, including acquisition, entitlement, design and construction. "It is a very tangible business, and that's what I like about it," Roberts said.

"It's the ability to drive through Los Angeles and look at all the buildings you've been a part of and think about how your hard work and ideas influenced, in some small way, how people live and work."

In his new role at California Landmark, Roberts will be responsible for managing construction and finance for the company's R2 and G2 development projects in the Del Rey Arts District in Marina del Rey.

Roberts graduated from the University of Washington with a bachelor's degree in construction management and holds an M.B.A. in real-estate finance from USC.

Roberts lives on the Westside in a house he has been fixing up for a couple of years. In addition to home improvement, he enjoys playing golf and fly fishing.