People: Firm Principals

BantaDESIGN is headed by a team of hands-on Principals with complementary skills and decades of experience managing a dedicated staff of architects, draftspersons, and researchers. The deep pool of talent our firm has to draw upon allows us to put together design teams precisely matched to the specific challenges of our clients’ projects. Devoted to excellence in both environmental design and service, the Principals comprise the central advantage our firm brings to our clients and their communities.
Philip BantaAIA, Architect, Founder & Principal Consultant Philip leads BantaDESIGN in design direction and delivery of professional services to our private and public sector clients. Philip has received international, national and Bay Area recognition for his firm’s residential work. From his first commission (the super energy-conserving San Jose State Office Building) to his most recent urban design initiative (the neighborhood catalyzing West Oakland Walk), he excels at assembling the best project teams for successful collaboration between clients, consultants, communities and permitting agencies. He has been involved with all the firm’s award winning multi-family projects since its inception. Educated at Harvard University (BA mcl) and UC Berkeley College of Environmental Design (M Arch with honors) Philip has served as a lecturer at UC Berkeley and the University of Texas at Austin, and currently serves on the Emeryville Planning Commission. His wife and four children are his renewable resource for creative inspiration. They reside in the coastal community of Stinson Beach.
Robert McGillisAIA, Architect, Principal Consultant Robert combines design talent and strong technical skills with a comprehensive code and permitting expertise critical to project success. His skillful management of approvals and budgets for BantaDESIGN projects consistently wins the respect of clients and building departments alike. Robert has worked on numerous urban in-fill commercail projects around the Bay Area. He earned his Bachelor of Architecture at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo with one year at the Academy of Architecture in Copenhagen, Denmark. Active in the East Bay community since his graduation, Robert lives with his wife and daughter in the Oakland hills.