About – Studio Hittle

Studio Hittle

Studio Hittle is a small, independent firm specializing in home design and landscape architecture. For more than 30 years, its mission has been to help clients realize their dreams by creating beautiful spaces for their lives. From custom-designed new homes to a master bath remodel, and site master plans to decks, terraces and native plantings, principal Gary Hittle loves working on a variety of projects large and small.

Gary Hittle, RLA

He didn’t know it, but Gary’s dad unwittingly fostered his innate drive to design and build things. “When I was growing up, my brothers and I helped him tear down several old buildings to salvage wood that we used to build an addition onto another house.” Combine that with a rural upbringing that cultivated a love of nature, and you have a career path.

After graduating from the University of Minnesota with a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture degree, Gary began his career as a designer at John Weidt Associates, an architectural firm specializing in environmentally appropriate architecture. He went on to open his own firm and continued his studies in the Master of Architecture program at the University of Minnesota.

Gary loves the challenge of learning about a client’s needs and desires and designing a house or landscape—or both—that blends the built environment with the natural environment.

As a sole practitioner, he works directly with you on the project from start to finish. As an artist, he brings strong aesthetics, composition and creativity to your project. And with his extensive background in construction, he has a strong sense of spatial quality and design and understands how projects are built.

When Gary’s not designing on the boards, you can find him in his studio painting—or cruising the back roads and side streets looking for another undiscovered coffee shop.

What clients are saying about Gary

“I liked Gary’s creativity and his willingness to collaborate with me. Most designers and architects tend to push their ideas and not listen to the client. He listened and tried to incorporate my wishes into the design. I love my home, and Gary assisted me in bringing my dream to reality. He also adhered to the budget and tried to find materials to fit that budget.”
–Cindy W.

“The value of working with a continuous designer over time is that we were growing with our space and Gary helped us on that journey. He was there to guide us as we grew.”
–Janet C.

“It’s pretty striking when you look at how the house blends into the landscape. Gary’s exceptionally good at bringing together dwellings with nature and the outdoors.”
–Ron C.

“I would not hesitate to recommend Gary to others. I thought Gary’s approach to my project was unique and cost effective.”
–Jaci L.

“Gary’s great to work with—he took time to understand our needs and incorporate them into the plans. He also recommended a good contractor and checked in during construction. Plus, he’s friendly, easy to talk with, listens carefully and incorporates our suggestions. We definitely would recommend Gary.”
–Audrey N.

“By having Gary do both home and landscape, there’s a continuity between the inside and outside that you’re probably not going to get elsewhere. Everything blends and works together and looks like it belongs.”
–Becky K.

“Gary’s ability to combine both architecture and landscape architecture in one project is definitely a plus. Once our garage plan was complete, we went on to hire Gary to design a landscape plan. It was nice working with someone who could develop both plans. By the time the garage plan was developed, he had a good understanding of our yard and what we were looking for in a landscape.”
–Rusty N.