James singleton
With 30 years’ experience designing projects across the urban-rural spectrum, and across project types and complexities, James draws on the innate qualities of a place to inform authentic and grounded solutions. Having built his career in Detroit, he embraces the challenge of balancing a high level of design quality with construction feasibility and limited resources. His work spans new construction and adaptive reuse, as well as community-based projects such as K-12, public safety, and recreation facilities nationally. With a background as both a designer and a residential contractor, he is adept at navigating the complexity of design and construction, and his deep understanding of how buildings go together affords him the ability to conceive of the widest possibilities, balanced with their technical impacts. His designs have been recognized by the Detroit and Michigan chapters of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA), and he serves as a frequent juror at the architectural schools at Lawrence Technological University, University of Detroit Mercy, and the University of Michigan.
contact: james@intotostudio.com
phone: 313.410.6546
Ben Ellefson
With almost two decades of architecture experience, Ben has worked on a number of project types including urban design, site planning, mixed use developments, civic projects, higher education and healthcare. Using his creative and technical insight he strives for aesthetic excellence and functionally sound architecture. He is skilled at employing principles of lean design and integrated project delivery. Working closely with contractors, consultants, and clients, he ensures quality documentation from concept through construction. Ben is a registered architect in Michigan and California as well as a LEED certified professional. Inspired by the energy and creativity of students and academia, Ben has been a guest juror at Cal Poly Pomona, SCI-arc, Otis College of Art and Design, and Lawrence Technological University. Over the past four years he has returned to the University of Detroit Mercy School of Architecture as an adjunct faculty member. Teaching all levels of design studio, he is equally excited about introducing first-year students to the abstractions of form, scale, and composition as he is working with 3rd and 4th year students to engage with community members to design meaningful and functional spaces that enrich the environments of the end-users.
contact: ben@intotostudio.com
Christoph Ibele
Christoph has 10 years of professional experience and is a registered architect in Michigan. He has led projects from programming and conceptual design through construction administration, including mixed-use multi-family residential, higher education, and other community facilities. In this role he has guided projects through LEED and Enterprise Green Communities certification to secure LIHTC funding. His experience also includes integrating design with digital fabrication strategies to advance construction efficiency. Christoph is an adjunct instructor at the University of Detroit Mercy School of Architecture, where he teaches upper-level studios and participates frequently on academic juries. His commitment to education and service has also included organizing employee mentorship programs and leading design workshops for high school students.
contact: christoph@intotostudio.com
Kaitlynn Hill
As a registered architect and project lead, Kaitlynn has a passion for community-based design. She strives for functional and elegant solutions to make each project successful and unique. Guiding clients through the process of design from initial vision through construction, she has led projects in higher education, recreation, residential, mixed-use, retail, historic preservation, healthcare, and hospitality. Her diverse background has given her communication and coordination skills to manage all phases of complex projects, from programming and estimating, to design and community engagement. She is also engaged with efforts to use technology more effectively in the design and execution process and has developed and implemented BIM training and standards. Additionally, Kaitlynn is an adjunct instructor at the University of Detroit Mercy teaching undergraduate visual communications studio.
contact: kaitlynn@intotostudio.com