John Seitz, Partner
Architect, Educator, Builder and Artisan
When I walk a city street or follow a country road, I am reminded of the large task before us. I see a world in need. A healthy, beautiful, well-tended garden is a place of wonder, filled with life and restorative to all living things. It is a place of delight and transformation, shaped by people and natural processes. It is nurtured by the sun, the rain, the wind, the soil and a diverse universe of organisms. In the garden nature meets art.  This is my work, garden by garden. Long ago we were given a beautiful world, filled with wonder and life, and must relearn what it is to be a steward. I feel a great deal of urgency in this task, as the world we live in today moves us further and further from the gardens we need to sustain us all.
15 years ago I left a position as Director of Sustainable Design at a global architecture firm to better understand plants and gardens. This followed 20 years of experience managing landmark building and sustainability planning projects that helped shape the history of sustainable design. My appreciation for the natural world began in a backyard and on a farm and has grown over the decades in Brooklyn and the Rondout Valley as I have continued to nurture and learn from our plant partners.
I am hopeful that we can rebuild our cities and landscapes with nature, to sustain life and regenerate living systems. As an architect I am excited by buildings that mimic plant processes, adapting to their changing environment and sustaining resource flows. As an educator I am encouraged when this process is made visible and communicated. As a gardener I am captivated by our expanding knowledge of plants and the varied and productive ways we have worked together from the beginning of time. As an ecologist I value the increased support of native plant communities and living systems. And as a citizen of humanity I feel great hope that we can mitigate the damage done and rebuild in a restorative and life-affirming way.

Registered Architect, New York State
Adjunct Assistant Professor, NYC College of Technology, CUNY
Permaculture Design Certificate, Occidental Arts & Ecology Center
LEED Accredited Professional, US Green Building Council

MS Architecture, Massachusetts Institute of Technology 1993
Bachelor of Architecture, Carnegie Mellon 1987
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