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 BantaArchitect, Founder & Principal Consultant Philip leads BantaDESIGN in design direction and delivery of professional architectural services. He has received international, national and regional recognition for his firm’s residential, commercial and institutional work in the form of numerous AIA design awards and worldwide publications. From their first commission for a State Office Building in San Jose to their Supportive Housing projects in Oakland, the firm has built a cost-effective design approach that shapes architecture into a frame for nature, one that celebrates the environment, harmonizes with the climate, and sustains the human spirit. For most of his career he has worked with private developers, for whom budget is of paramount importance, and is now focused on Affordable Housing of all types. Philip excels at assembling the best project teams for successful collaboration between clients, consultants, communities, contractors and permitting agencies. He delivers the firm’s architectural design services in coordination with his associate Principal Consultants, whose pool of talent comprise the firm’s main competitive advantage benefitting their clients and the communities their projects are built in. Educated at Harvard University (BA mcl) and UC Berkeley College of Environmental Design (M Arch with honors) Philip has lectured and taught studio courses at UC Berkeley and the University of Texas at Austin. He has also served as a Planning Commissioner for the City of Emeryville and he remains active in a variety of pro bono services for the West Oakland Community. In addition, he has become active in the effort to design Affordable Housing and habitats for those in need of housing throughout California.

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.

Norman Hooks Architect, Principal Consultant Norman provides exceptional depth of experience regarding community outreach, Construction Document production, and Construction Observation. Norman has served as vice-chairman of the Oakland Landmarks Preservation Advisory Board, and as a member of the Oakland Mayor’s Land-Use and Planning task Force. He currently presides as president of the West Oakland Commerce Association. Norman’s professional expertise is built on 45 years of adaptive re-use, housing, and historic preservation projects in the Bay Area. Norman earned his Bachelor of Architecture from Hampton University, Virginia and pursued post-graduate studies at the College of Environmental Design, UC Berkeley. Oakland has been his home for the last 25 years.