Who We Are

We are leveraging our design and construction experience to bring wellness to our clients and community.

HOW WE STARTED

Ecotone began as a humble but determined garden construction company in Brooklyn ten years ago. From the moment we landed our first project, our team has been pushing the limits of what we can accomplish, always striving to learn new things and take on new challenges. We have never shied away from trying something challenging, which is why we are now the top experts in creating indoor spaces of all kinds in the most demanding regulatory system in the country. We apply the same approach and determination in the public works arena and in creating industry training opportunities designed to support the health and wellness of our local community.

our team

Craig Desmond​

Construction Manager

Craig Desmond is a woodworker and a natural builder and serves as Ecotone’s Construction & Operations Manager. Craig oversees design, fabrication, and installation activities and is a diligent, detail-oriented team lead.

Ecotone results from Craig’s persistence in building a team of professionals passionate about natural building, artisanal craftsmanship, and wellness-oriented design.

An ideal day for Craig starts with his construction and fabrication team, where he reviews and initiates the day’s work, creates templates, and reviews drawings and work in progress. Later in the morning, a meeting work session with the Ecotone design team and outside designers helps keep construction operations running smooth. By the afternoon, on a perfect day, Craig enjoys practicing woodworking and timber joinery without too many distractions.

Samantha Frühwirth

Lead Architectural Designer
Samantha Fruhwirth is an accomplished architectural designer and professional dancer with training at Columbia University, Parsons School of Design, Repertory Dance Theater, and American Repertory Ballet. The foundational values she cemented at a young age during her professional ballet training continue to inform her approach to active learning and designing creative realms of an improved human experience. Samantha immerses herself with her work in fiber art and natural building workshops and actively builds her community of collaborative, compassionate designers and builders who generously give their time and talent with optimistic intentions. Through her unrelenting pursuit of knowledge of the trades, of natural building, honing her handcrafting skills, and moving elegantly towards her goals and community, she has found a home at Ecotone.

Litisha Isidore Desmond

Studio Manager

Tisha Isidore narrates herself as loving, caring, and compassionate – attributes that she has developed by being a nanny and nurturer of young children. Tisha is from St. Lucia, but she has made Brooklyn home for half of her life. For a long time, an outlet for her creative nature eluded her, and in 2014, Tisha began volunteering with the Ecotone Apprenticeship Program. Her natural aptitude for woodworking quickly became apparent, and she has since developed a knack for crafting curated gifts for those she loves.

Not only has her love for woodworking grown, but through working with Ecotone, her once shy and anxious social skills have evolved, and she has developed the confidence to realize she wants more from life. Isidore enjoys the nostalgic climate in Red Hook, Brooklyn – the surrounding waters and many boats remind her of St. Lucia. She compares Red Hook to “back home,” where most look after each other’s well-being. Her goals for the future are to step further out of her comfort zone, continue sharpening her carpentry skills, and possibly building a furniture website – ambitions she would have never discovered if it was not for the Ecotone Apprenticeship Program.

EunJin Shin

Design Engineer
E.J. is a creative director with design experiences in architecture and engineering with educations from the State University of New York and Columbia University. Her design considers both qualitative and quantitative design elements interested in function-driven and experiential-oriented design. Her broad spectrum of participation varies from construction support of the design-build project to preliminary conceptual design. She believes that excellence in design comes from the collaborative effort of various experts and is passionate about interdisciplinary design groups.

HEALING OUR COMMUNITY THROUGH WELLNESS AND TRAINING

We started Ecotone ten years ago with the core belief that natural spaces for healing and wellness should be available to everyone. Giving back to our community is not PR or a side project. It’s the very reason our company came to be! To bring our vision of community wellness to life, we have spearheaded numerous local initiatives, including public works projects and a variety of apprenticeship programming that supports skilled-trade workforce development.

Our community projects

NYCHA Garden with Black Timber Frame Structure

Far Rockaway, Queens
This grant-funded project from the TKF foundation was part of an effort to create sacred spaces on public land across the country. The goal was to create a community area for relaxation and wellness and a space where kids could learn basic construction and skilled-trade skills. This partnership saw Ecotone working with Parsons New School, NYCHA, NYC Parks, and the US Forestry Department to execute a complex project while complying with a litany of government, city agency, and insurance regulations.

Native Plant Propagation Structure

Manteo, North Carolina
The coastal town of Manteo wanted to create a space for kids to learn about plants and nature as part of their dune preservation program. So we built a native plant propagation structure entirely from salvaged materials to protect various local plant life from the harsh elements on the coast. The project was completed with help from the local school and aquarium and funded entirely by local donations.

APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM

Are you looking for a new path in life? Our robust training and certification program is the perfect starting point for aspiring designers and tradespeople to break into New York City’s competitive design and construction industry.
APPLY NOW

Have an idea for a community project or a question about our apprenticeship program? Send us a message!

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Ecotone is your urban wellness specialist. We design and build revitalizing spaces, including spas, gardens, and public works.
© 2022 by Ecotone. All rights reserved.

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Contact

(212) 965-9358

127 King St.

Brooklyn, NY 11231

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