Our Team

Patrick Baldwin, ASLA

Patrick joined Burton Studio in 1999. He has accumulated extensive experience in design, planning, and construction management through his direction of resort, club, and residential development projects across the globe. Patrick is a registered landscape architect in California, Florida, Nevada, and Texas.

Professional Education:

Bachelor of Science, Landscape Architecture, University of Wisconsin

Professional Registration/Affiliation:

Registered Landscape Architect in California, Nevada, Texas, and Florida
Member, American Society of Landscape Architects
Member, Urban Land Institute

MaryBeth Barker

MaryBeth joined Burton Studio in 1994. She is an indispensable member of our team, contributing to both overall studio management and technical specification writing on all projects that pass through our doors.

Will Bennett

Will joined Burton Studio in 2021. After initially working as a summer intern, Will returned to the firm full time and now contributes his immense talents as a designer, illustrator, modeler, and team member on complex sets of working drawings.

Professional Education:

Bachelor of Arts, Architecture, University of California, Berkeley

Youning Chang

Youning joined Burton Studio in 2003. A skilled practitioner, he manages the design and implementation of development projects that require rigorous interdisciplinary coordination and detailed construction documentation.

Professional Education:

Bachelor of Science, Horticulture, National Taiwan University
Master of Landscape Architecture, Cornell University

Professional Registration/Affiliation:

Registered Landscape Architect in California

Lisa Chestnut

Lisa joined Burton Studio in 1995. She contributes to the documentation of various projects in the studio and possesses a discerning eye for site furnishings selections, arrangements, and finishes. She is also active as an independent artist.

Professional Education:

Bachelor of Science, Landscape Architecture, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Professional Registration/Affiliation:

Member, American Society of Landscape Architects

Jack Faulconer

Jack joined Burton Studio in 2024. After initially working as a summer intern, Jack returned to the firm full time and now assists on a variety of design and documentation efforts with his distinguished modeling and drawing skills.

Professional Education:

Bachelor of Landscape Architecture, Clemson University

Joel Harms

Joel joined Burton Studio in 1996. A landscape architect with over 40 years experience, he is a gifted designer with a keen ability to hone in on the defining principles of each project he touches. He continues to enrich his knowledge of design through his extensive travels and ongoing experiences within the realm of landscape architecture. Joel is a registered landscape architect in California.

Professional Education:

Bachelor of Science, Landscape Architecture, California State Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo

Professional Registration/Affiliation:

Registered Landscape Architect in California
Member, American Society of Landscape Architects
Member, City of San Diego Art in Public Places Committee

Ash Hoden

Ash joined Burton Studio in 2007. He has worked across the globe both on paper and in person, notably having served as Burton's local presence in Doha, Qatar during that monumental project's final development. He is an accomplished designer, systems thinker, and independent author.

Professional Education:

Bachelor of Science, Landscape Architecture, Colorado State University  

Professional Registration/Affiliation:

Registered Landscape Architect in California
LEED Accredited Professional

Jana-Shay Kaplan

Jana-Shay joined Burton Studio in 1995. Perhaps the most local member of our team, she hails from Cardiff-by-the-Sea and has grown alongside the firm into her critical role as our talented controller and operations manager.

Reid Katkov

Reid joined Burton Studio in 2010. He manages many of the high profile and long term projects in the studio and maintains Burton's local academic connection through ongoing landscape architecture mentorship and education opportunities for area high school students.

Professional Education:

Bachelor of Science, Landscape Architecture, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Professional Registration/Affiliation:

Member, American Society of Landscape Architects

Laurie Kruest

Laurie joined Burton Studio in 2013. With a keen eye for both detail and efficiency, she manages a wide array of project types in addition to authoring and maintaining our studio's internal production operations.

Professional Education:

Bachelor of Science, Landscape Architecture, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Yushen Liu

Yushen joined Burton Studio in 2019. She contributes her modeling, illustration, and visualization talents to numerous projects in the studio and works across all project genres.

Professional Education:

Bachelor of Engineering, Urban Planning, Chang'an University
Master of Landscape Architecture, University of Southern California

Darcy Lyons

Darcy joined Burton Studio in 2018. A landscape architect by training, she focuses her impressive previous experience as a practitioner to her ongoing role as the studio's graphic design and marketing coordinator.

Professional Education:

Bachelor of Science, Landscape Architecture, Texas A&M University

Matthew MacLeod, ASLA

Matt joined Burton Studio in 2011. He directs a range of project types and places particular emphasis on crafting the finished appearance of a space through meticulous detail and planting design development. Matt is a registered landscape architect in Arizona, California, Hawaii, and New Mexico.

Professional Education:

Bachelor of Science, Landscape Architecture, University of California, Davis
Master of Landscape Architecture, Cornell University

Professional Registration/Affiliation:

Registered Landscape Architect in California, Arizona, Hawaii, and New Mexico
LEED Accredited Professional
Member, American Society of Landscape Architects

Erik Nicholas

Erik joined Burton Studio in 2021. His robust experience in the landscape construction industry has developed Erik's discerning eye and critical importance to the studio's construction administration activities. He is also a certified arborist and active team member during project design and documentation.

Professional Education:

Bachelor of Science, Towson University

Professional Registration/Affiliation:

ISA Certified Arborist

Matthew Uyeda

Matt joined Burton Studio in 1996. He has participated in a wide range of project types during his tenure with particular focus on design development, documentation, and construction management. These activities have honed Matt's ability to ensure the faithful translation of designs from the studio boards to constructed reality.

Professional Education:

Bachelor of Science, Environmental Policy Analysis and Planning, University of California, Davis

Professional Registration/Affiliation:

Member, American Society of Landscape Architects
Member, Urban Land Institute

Roger Wilcox

Roger joined Burton Studio in 2002. A civil engineer by training, he has proven to be an indispensable and uniquely qualified member of our team due to his ability to meld the technical aspect of ground plane development with the aesthetic principles of landscape architecture. His involvement in all projects ensures the sound functionality and feasibility of each design authored by the studio.

Professional Education:

Bachelor of Architecture, Phoenix Institute of Technology

Professional Registration/Affiliation:

Member, Congress for New Urbanism