Nikos Papadopoulos, Founding Principal

Nikos is founding principal of Austin-based Furrow Studio.  He is a registered Landscape Architect and started practicing landscape architecture in 2007. Having grown up under the Mediterranean sun and lived and worked on both the East and West coasts of the United States, he decided to settle in Austin to establish a local practice that reflects his passion for connecting people with their environment.

Throughout his career he has been fortunate to practice with some of the most talented and respected designers in the field today developing his diverse professional experience with residential, commercial, civic and institutional projects in the US and abroad. He is a firm believer of cross-disciplinary collaboration and his work is informed by a constant drive to advance the discourse around the experience of landscapes.

With a culturally diverse background, Nikos is comfortable both as an urban dweller and a remote backpacker. When not sitting behind the drafting board, you will probably find him planning the next road trip, taking his time at an art exhibit, or simply enjoying Austin’s rich urban culture and the beauty of the Texas Hill Country with his family and friends.

Education

Rhode Island School of Design, MLA | 2008

Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Integrated Master’s in Horticulture and Viticulture | 2004

Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, BS in Agriculture | 2004

Ron Lutsko Jr., Consulting Principal 

Ron Lutsko Jr. is consulting principal of Furrow Studio. With over 30 years of experience in design, central to Ron’s design philosophy is his deep interest in design, architecture, ecological systems, and conceptual art. This is coupled with a forward thinking minimal approach to composition, rigorous attention to detail, and a fascination with materials, finishes and plant species.

He has served on numerous boards and advisory committees and has written and lectured on the subject of merging plants, people, and ecology into the fabric of the constructed landscape.  Ron has a number of business interests including Lutsko Associates, landscape, in San Francisco, where he serves as the founding principal, he also operates a specialty nursery, and a small, family run organic farm, and an olive oil company.  The nursery serves as a resource for introducing unique climate-appropriate plants into cultivation and serves as a resource for his projects. 

Outside of work Ron is an active outdoorsman, and travels extensively seeking out landscapes formed by other cultures and ecologies.  The information gleaned from these experiences serves as a rich basis for creating new landscapes.

Education

UC Berkeley, Berkeley CA, MA Landscape Architecture | 1990
UC Davis, Davis CA, BS Landscape Architecture | 1980
UC Davis, Davis CA, BS Environmental Horticulture | 1977

Teaching Experience

Lecturing Professor: Planting Design Studios at U.C. Davis | 1980 – 1985
Lecturing Professor: Plant Identification, Planting Design Studio, Native Plants in the Landscape, Horticulture, and General Design Studio at U.C. Berkeley | 1984 – 1994