Who We Are
The Studio
ORTO Studio is an award-winning architecture and design-build practice based in California, working across residential, hospitality, and small-scale commercial projects in the U.S. and Baja. The studio is rooted in a fundamental approach to architecture—clarity, proportion, material honesty, and the integrated craft of building.
Each project begins with a deep understanding of place. Landscape, climate, and topography shape our design decisions, resulting in essential, timeless spaces grounded in both concept and construction. Through a design-build model, ORTO Studio unifies architectural vision with hands-on technical expertise, ensuring continuity and quality from start to finish.
Our work has received international recognition, including First Place in Residential Architecture at the Premio Noldi Schreck 2025, and has been featured in global publications for its thoughtful, context-driven approach.
ORTO Studio is committed to building with intention—creating architecture that is resilient, refined, and deeply connected to its environment.
Founder | Design Principal
Tomás R. Ortiz
Tomás R. Ortiz is an architectural designer, licensed general contractor, and founder of ORTO Studio and Design Force Builders. He works at the intersection of architecture and construction, guided by a belief in returning to the fundamentals of design—the clarity, discipline, and craft of the “master builder” tradition where ideas and building are inseparable.
Tomás earned his Bachelor of Architecture from Woodbury University, complemented by a formative period of study in Rome, where direct exposure to classical proportion, ancient construction techniques, and urban history deepened his interest in timeless, context-driven design. This foundation continues to influence his work across residential, hospitality, and design-build projects in California and Baja.
His career took a profound turn after a life-altering accident that left his dominant right arm permanently paralyzed. In response, Tomás rebuilt his practice and personal philosophy around resilience, adaptation, and the transformative power of design. Opening ORTO Studio became both a professional commitment and a personal act of recovery—reclaiming identity through craft, patience, and the pursuit of essential architecture.
Tomás is the First Place Winner in Residential Architecture at the 2025 Premio Noldi Schreck, one of Mexico’s most respected architecture awards. He has been invited to speak at AIA conferences, PechaKucha events, and design symposiums throughout California and Baja, where he shares his perspective on perseverance, material honesty, and the integration of design and construction.
Today, Tomás continues to create work grounded in fundamentals—spaces that are resilient, deliberate, and deeply connected to their landscape—while championing a practice model rooted in the holistic legacy of the master builder.