Our Roots
Habitat Guild is the result of our extensive careers spanning sustainable landscape design, permaculture, maintenance and groundskeeping, master gardening, irrigation, and best practices as informed by current research around the importance of regenerative landscapes. We are a guild of landscape professionals committed to using landscape as a force for good.
WHO WE ARE
DEREK BRANDT
PRINCIPAL / FOUNDER
Derek’s work is inspired by the potential of the built landscape to promote a thriving healthy environment, with an eye for a naturalized place-based aesthetic. His background is a unique blend of the practical application of landscapes with an academic and research-based lens, to design and install functional & beautiful spaces at the intersection of humans and nature.
After completing an Environmental Studies degree from Naropa University in 2009, he started groundskeeping and received his Colorado Master Gardener through CSU Extension and Permaculture Design certificates in 2011 and 2012. He worked for numerous small residential landscaping companies before achieving a Master of Landscape Architecture degree from the University of Colorado Denver in 2016. During and after his graduate studies, Derek’s professional experience, with both nonprofit and private companies alike, expanded to collaborating with school districts to naturalize schoolyards with the The Big Sandbox of Denver and Philadelphia, and with Didier Design Studio of Fort Collins, designing larger than life children’s gardens at botanic gardens from the desert southwest to the tropical southeast. Before founding Habitat Guild in 2020, Derek was working with the National Wildlife Federation to build schoolyard habitats and naturalize outdoor learning environments at K-12 schools and child care centers throughout Colorado.
Derek is a registered Landscape Architect in Colorado.
YANA RUMI
FIELD DIRECTOR /
BUILD & IRRIGATION GURU
A Colorado native, Yana Rumi has had a career in the landscape design / build / maintain space along the Front Range since 1997.
He has worked for public, private and academic institutions during this tenure and has a unique depth and breadth in the field. Yana’s knowledge and experience in all phases of the “green industry” - hardscape, horticulture and irrigation provide a wholistic understanding of outdoor space creation and maintenance. Yana has certification as a Colorado Master Gardener through the CSU Extension agency, is a Certified Irrigation Contractor (CIC) through the national Irrigation Association (IA), and is a Landscape Industry Certified Technician (CLT-E) through the National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP). His passion for sustainable ecological practices has met his ideal expression in working for Habitat Guild.
Outside of work, Yana loves to spend time with his partner and her 13 y/o son, seriously, they are both super cool humans.
RITA MANNA
SENIOR PROJECT MANAGER
Rita is a Landscape Designer with 15 years of experience in the design, landscape, and construction industries.
She has achieved a Master of Landscape Architecture degree, a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Graphic Design, a Permaculture Design certification, and has won numerous design, gardening and community service-related awards over the years.
Rita has worked with diverse teams to create landscapes that are restorative, memorable, functional, and rejuvenating. She specializes in the creation of landscapes that seamlessly knit the urban fabric and our natural world to make truly remarkable spaces. With such a broad design background that focuses not only on placemaking but also visual communication, she can effectively and efficiently communicate design ideas to a broad spectrum of clientele.
Rita is the founder of Braid.Work landscape architecture collective which “blends ecologically responsive ideas with aesthetically pleasing elements to create unique and stunning designs.…[which] integrate natural cycles and systems across all scales to ensure social and environmental harmony.”
What we stand for
sustainability
Our thoughtful designs aim to restore biodiversity, build resilience, support the local economy and ecosystem, and cultivate landscapes that require fewer inputs to maintain in the long run.
Quality
We build our landscapes to last. Our custom designs are rooted in detail, while thoughtfully considering the big picture. All of our materials are procured from local, high-quality suppliers, and our crew upholds the highest care and attention to detail while building your space. We guarantee all of our work and go beyond the industry standard.
transparency
We are committed to transparency throughout our business. This looks like honest, authentic, clear communication throughout the entire process, and a quality product you can cherish for years to come.