ABOUT

G2 Collaborative is a small, creative, landscape architecture firm focused on the integration of environmentally smart technologies and meaningful, compelling design. Principals Lisa Giersbach and Gigi Saltonstall, bring together their shared interests in the power of the landscape to create community, vibrant social settings, and rich ecological environments. The firm’s work ranges from site design and master planning for mixed-use, institutional and residential projects, to urban design and planning.

Process is central to our work. We work closely with clients to understand program and project goals. We find inspiration through detailed and creative assessment of the project area and surrounding context including analysis of a site’s changing qualities, such as sun angle, seasons, wind, storm water patterns, plant associations, social uses, and site history. With an informed understanding of site come clear design strategies to create grounded, functional, maintainable, and meaningful public and private spaces, regardless of project complexity and scale. Our design solutions not only emphasize the inherent qualities of site, but aspire to create spatial drama that adds to the generation of memorable and enduring places.

Using a collaborative approach and participatory engagement strategies, we strive to create inspiring and welcoming environments for all age ranges to create equitable and accessible outdoor spaces. Through discussions with the public, stakeholder groups, and our clients, we develop a better understanding of the site’s opportunities and challenges to be addressed through our work.

G2 Collaborative maintains a dynamic affiliation with a variety of distinguished architects, horticulturists, environmental consultants, and engineers and has a history of successfully addressing accessibility challenges and budgetary constraints. We are experienced in working with permitting and municipalities on many levels to deliver a project. As well, we have demonstrated a commitment to sustainable design. Both Principals are LEED Accredited Professionals and have successfully realized numerous innovative, sustainable and LEED certified projects.

In our practice, we strive to bring creative, individual solutions to each client, designing landscapes which create a sense of place, purposefulness, and beauty.

Lisa Giersbach, Principal, ASLA

Lisa believes in the power of the landscape to build community, the beauty of landscape to shape experience, and the potential of the designed landscape to have profound effects on urban and ecological systems. Beginning her career in the field of Studio Art and Art History, Lisa earned a Bachelor of Arts in Art History at Grinnell College in Iowa and worked in Museum Education at the Cloisters Museum in New York City. Working in art education in the sylvan setting of Fort Tyron Park, nestled in Upper Manhattan, she discovered the discipline of landscape architecture. Lisa went on to earn her Master of Landscape Architecture at Harvard’s Graduate School of Design. After 14 years in practice at Richard Burck Associates, Lisa founded G design studio in 2012 to continue pursuing her passion for creating spaces for people in the integration of art and ecology, and in 2014, Lisa and Gigi brought together their shared interests to establish G2 Collaborative. Passionate about design in general, Lisa’s mid-century home tucked into the woods is a palette for her many projects. She is also an animal-lover and an adventurer. Lisa can be found on ropes courses, hiking trails and kayaking all over New England, New York and New Jersey on any given weekend.

Gigi Saltonstall, Principal, ASLA

When Gigi was 10 years old, she watched her sister design and build a model house for a school project and knew immediately that she wanted to become an architect. After growing up in Newton, MA, she attended Willams College where she received her BA in Art History. She then traveled south to the University of Virginia School of Architecture where she earned a Master of Architecture degree followed by a Master of Landscape Architecture degree. After over a decade of practice back in the Boston area working on a wide range of institutional and residential projects, Gigi started her own Landscape Architecture firm in 2012 before joining forces with G Design Studio to establish G2 Collaborative. Gigi operates out of the strong belief that successful spaces are created through careful and deliberate teamwork keeping careful aim at maintainable, sustainable, livable and, especially, beautiful places. In addition to that sort of fun, Gigi is a huge dog-lover, throws a great party, and spends as much time as possible with family.

Nicole Gaenzler, Associate Principal

Nicole grew up in Germany where she studied and obtained a professional degree in Architecture from the Technical University in Munich. After starting her career at an Architecture and Urban Design office, she soon developed a keen interest in Landscape Architecture. Her desire to learn more about the profession, together with a long-held wish to study abroad, brought her to the United States where she earned her Master of Landscape Architecture at Harvard’s Graduate School of Design. Building on the symbiotic relationship between the two disciplines, Nicole offers an integrated perspective to all her projects.

With more than 20 years of experience at distinguished firms - Martha Schwartz Partners, Sasaki, and Peter Zumthor’s architecture studio in Switzerland - Nicole brings both expertise and never-ceasing curiosity to her work to create artistic, innovative, and sustainable solutions. Nicole has also taught numerous design studios at the Boston Architectural College and is teaching an environmental course in the architecture program at Roger Williams University where she shares her passion for the profession and her strong belief in the transformational power of Landscape Architecture. She is an avid equestrian and spends as much time as possible with her horse roaming the New England countryside.

James Pfeiffer, Senior Associate, RLA

James was born and raised in Connecticut where he spent many days after school at his family's flower shop and greenhouses. He received his Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture degree from Temple University in Philadelphia. Since then, he has nearly 23 years of experience on a variety of project types including campus and institutional, parks and trails, transportation and streetscapes, and large private estates. He is proficient in all phases of design and brings a careful sense of detail and quality to each project.

When not working on all things landscape architecture, James can be found with his wife on the sidelines of their twin boys' sporting events, skiing the mountains of New England, or gathering with family and friends.

Jonathan Kuhr, Landscape Designer

Jonathan developed an early love for landscapes, playing in the ex-agricultural suburban fields of central Ohio and visiting state parks on family "adventures" (a euphemism his parents used for getting lost). That love developed over the years into a deep appreciation for how nature and well-designed public spaces can inspire us and transform communities. He earned his Master of Landscape Architecture degree from Harvard University's Graduate School of Design, where he focused on the theory, practice, and possibilities of building public space. Before joining G2, he worked as a landscape designer for CSS D/S (Oakland, CA) and Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates (Cambridge, MA).

Before embarking on a career in landscape architecture, Jonathan worked as a musician and a museum professional, serving as the editor for the Rubin Museum of Art in New York, NY, for nearly ten years. During this time, he helped develop more than fifty exhibitions, ten books, and numerous digital and print publications focused on the material culture of the Himalayan region.

Outside of wor,k Jonathan loves to spend time writing music, visiting museums, consuming classic cinema, and hiking and camping across the country with his wife.

Yuting Chen, Landscape Designer

Yuting Chen received her Master of Landscape Architecture from Rhode Island School of Design, where she focused her studio work on the dynamic intimacy between land and people. At RISD, Yuting also spent much of her time in glass making studios and creating multi-media art installations. Upon graduation, Yuting moved to Boston to explore more of New England. Prior to G2, Yuting worked as a junior designer at Richard Burck Associates in Somerville. With her multidisciplinary experience and her cross-cultural background, Yuting is excited to bring her cheerful energy to G2 office.

In her free time, Yuting is an adventurer who is always seeking new experiences. Yuting is a plant lover and a bunny lover. You can find her hiking or camping in the summer and painting and clay-sculpting in the winter. Recently, she has been learning to set up an indoor greenhouse for her rare tropical plant collection.

Tina Wang, Landscape Designer

Tina (Tianyue) earned a Master of Landscape Architecture from the Rhode Island School of Design and a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture from UC Davis. At UC Davis, she built a strong foundation in ecological design, specializing in sustainable water management practices and native planting. Her master's thesis, Empathetic Reverberations, explored the role of plants in pollution remediation and ecosystem sustainability, focusing on their critical contributions to environmental restoration.

Originally from Beijing, Tina relocated to the Boston area after completing her studies to pursue her career as a landscape designer. Tina’s work is driven by a passion for integrating ecological restoration with design innovation, creating landscapes that inspire action and connection.

On weekends, Tina enjoys visiting museums to explore art and history and spending quality time with her cat. She finds inspiration in quiet moments of reflection, which often fuel her creative approach to design.