Breck Gastinger

Education

MLA and MArch, University of Virginia
BSArch, University of Virginia

Biography

Breck Gastinger is the founder and principal of LOCAL Design Collective.

Over his 21 years of professional experience, Breck Gastinger has applied his background in architecture and landscape to create dynamic, memorable places rich in meaning and experience. For Breck, landscape architecture should be an active, restorative process that weaves systems of ecology and revealed cultural legacies to create places that excite the individual spirit and that promote societal wellness. 

Since 2000, Breck honed his skills, experiences, and perspectives at Nelson Byrd Woltz (NBW) with the mentorship of Warren Byrd, Thomas Woltz, and a host of many other talented designers and thinkers. As a longtime leader and Senior Associate, he worked on and led design work on projects at a variety of scales and locations. Recently, Breck led design efforts at the Aga Khan Garden, Alberta, in Edmonton, the Cultural Arts Corridor in Fayetteville, Arkansas, and the Garden of Light, in King’s Cross, London. He also led work on National ASLA awarded projects for the Orongo Station Master Plan, North Island, New Zealand, the 100-year Master plan for Cornwall Park, Auckland, New Zealand, and Citygarden, St. Louis and was part of the design team for the winning entry for the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, PA.

Breck’s professional career was deeply shaped by his undergraduate and graduate work at the University of Virginia. He graduated with distinctions in Architecture (BSarch 98’) (MArch 03’), and Landscape (MLArch 04’), as a dual degree student. He maintains a strong connection to the school as a periodic guest critic and speaker. Though he grew up in Missouri, he lives in Charlottesville with his family. Together they enjoy local advocacy and volunteer work and getting outside to hike and camp whenever they can. Breck is the Vice Chair of the Charlottesville Board of Architectural Review and enjoys the opportunity to promote contemporary design that respects and sustains the historic architecture and cultural landscapes that tell our city’s stories.