Our Team
DANTE Ortiz
Dante is a multi-disciplinary artist dedicated to exploring the intersection of nature, art, and design. He has more than fifteen years of experience designing and building landscapes and maintains a studio art practice to create new works and ideas. His designs respond to specific ecosystems, urban densities, and indoor and outdoor habitats and have been built in diverse landscapes spanning from Hawaii to New York City. Dante holds Fine Arts and Landscape Architecture degrees from the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). He apprenticed under Martin Mosko, founder of Marpa, a landscape design firm in Boulder, Colorado, and learned a contemplative design philosophy that focuses on spaces of respite, reflection, and intimacy with nature. His art work can be seen at danteortiz.com.
maria williford
Maria is a designer and natural builder with deep roots in entrepreneurship and community-based design. Holding a BSBA in International Business from UNC-Charlotte and two Permaculture Design certifications from UPI-SF and Project Bona Fide, her diverse background inspired a career in the direction of exploring regenerative solutions for issues that connect urban living, ecological resilience, and social justice. Her past work includes tiny space design, reclaimed furniture making, resiliency workshops/events, and public engagement tools for large scale infrastructure projects in California and beyond. She has a longstanding history of volunteering with nonprofits focused on sustainable economic development and disaster resilience and is a member of the Open Architecture Collaborative.
Kyle Martin
Kyle is an artist and builder with a background in landscape installation. He is passionate about creating and transforming spaces that can connect people with nature, family and friends. He specializes in dry stone masonry building methods. Kyle holds a bachelors degree in Fine Arts from San Francisco State, where he studied painting, drawing, printmaking and sculpture.