Q&A

Q&A with Micah Giardetti, PLA

Posted 10/13/2025

We sat down with our newest Principal, Micah Giardetti, to learn more about his career path at Design Workshop. Read on to learn about how a childhood of exposure to the arts fueled his interest in urban design, his passion for creating exceptional public realms, and the challenge of rapid urbanization.

What excites you about your new position as a principal?

I'm most excited to sustain and bolster the urban design practice in the Denver studio. In the 12 years I've lived here, I've witnessed and played a small role in advocating for Denver's pedestrianization through mixed use development, expanded mobility choice, and the creation of exceptional public realms. I feel so fortunate to work alongside my very talented DW colleagues who share that passion for city-building work and desire to make this city and others vibrant, welcoming places to live.

As a landscape architect, what are three things that you are paying most attention to in the industry?

1. We are at a paradigm shift with artificial intelligence that I think we'll only truly understand in retrospect. Machine learning will forever impact the way we work and interact. We must be steps ahead in understanding its role in efficiency and contribution to delivering exceptional work.
2. The rapid urbanization of our cities and the need for high quality, functional public realm that can help to facilitate a deeper connection with nature and each other. As our cities continue to grow, we have a duty to create these connections through the places we design!
3. Climate adaptation and resilience is also top of mind for me. Particularly in the west, as water security is constantly being threatened, we have a responsibility to future generations to address our changing climate by advocating for sustainable practices with the work we do.

Tell us about your career path and how you ended up at Design Workshop.

Visual arts have always been a core part of my life. My dad was a professor of art / art history and I was always tagging along with my dad to exhibitions, galleries, and openings. I became interested in the ability of artistic expression to evoke emotional response and create a deep connection to the observer. Part of the reason I was interested in landscape architecture was because I saw landscape as the ultimate, most expansive means to create this connection and, as a result, decided to pursue a graduate degree in the field. During graduate school, I started working summers at a commercial design-build contractor at the height of the great recession. Following that, I went to work for AECOM where I was exposed to urban design and planning projects all over the world. I saw Design Workshop doing similar work without the red tape of a publicly traded company, so made a conscious effort to make the switch and applied to DW. I've loved it ever since.

What do you love most about Design Workshop?

I appreciate Design Workshop's strong, unwavering foundation in collaboration, listening, and pragmatism that has allowed us to be one of the greatest firms that has ever existed. At the same time, I love that we've been able to adapt to modernity and the ever-changing nature of our profession. I love getting up every morning with purpose, all while having a great time with my colleagues.