Team

At Site Design Group, Carl Allen is a Technical Associate. Coming from the architecture world with experience in residential, retail, and commercial projects, he brings a well-rounded background in Revit and construction documentation, along with a deep curiosity about the history and forces that shape the built environment. 

Originally from Tacoma, Washington, Carl now calls Chicago home. In his free time, he enjoys computer gaming, running, and cheering on the Seattle Mariners.

Cody Axness is a Landscape Architect and Studio Director at Site Design Group. Cody has over 20 years of professional experience leading and supporting planning, design, and project delivery across a diverse range of multidisciplinary projects. His experience includes a portfolio of local, national, and international work spanning analysis, campus and master planning, and site development.

Cody enjoys working closely with clients, stakeholders, and multidisciplinary teams to understand each project's unique opportunities and challenges, fostering an inclusive design process that leads to thoughtful, lasting solutions. Guided by a deep understanding of context and purpose, his work reflects a commitment to creating authentic, enduring connections between the built and natural environments. When not working, Cody enjoys cycling, hands-on home projects, and getting outdoors with his wife & daughters.

Hana Ishikawa, RA, AIA, ASLA Affiliate, is a Partner and Design Principal at Site Design Group, where she leads the firm’s creative and strategic direction. Over her career, she has guided over a hundred of projects of all scales, from public to private, delivering thoughtful, innovative design solutions that respond to cultural context and unique uses. Hana brings a balance of innovation and logic to every phase of her work, from conceptual visioning to construction details. 

Hana is a frequent presenter at industry conferences, and also previously served on the City of Chicago Department of Planning and Development’s inaugural Committee on Design, where she brought her expertise and vision to shaping the city’s built environment. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of the AIA Chicago Chapter. 

Born into a family of designers in Tokyo and shaped by a diverse educational and professional background, she brings a global perspective to her practice. She is fluent in Japanese, tried speaking French, and continually inspired by cross-cultural approaches to design. 

Jeff Trost is a Landscape Architect and Field Project Manager at Site Design Group. He supports all aspects of the construction administration process, including specifications, field reporting, and quality control. Jeff brings field expertise in landscape maintenance, plant identification, plant healthcare, and irrigation.

He holds a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. In his free time, Jeff enjoys hanging out with his dog and cats, tending to his houseplants and garden as well as building computers and PC gaming. You can also find him in the kitchen working to perfect his cast iron pizza recipe.

Jessie King is a Senior Project Manager at Site Design Group. A CLARB-certified Professional Landscape Architect in Illinois, she holds a Master of Landscape Architecture from Kansas State University. Jessie has contributed to projects throughout the Midwest, focusing her passion on riverfronts, equitable spaces for all, and the local Chicago landscape through community-driven projects.

Outside of work, Jessie loves hiking, camping, reading, sewing, weaving, and other crafts. Her deep appreciation for the outdoors stems from a childhood spent taking road trips to National Parks across the country.

Maria Grina is a Landscape Architect and Technical Manager at Site Design Group, where she strives to create spaces that inspire joy. Originally from Minnesota, Maria has a deep admiration for how the landscape changes through the seasons. For each of her projects, she brings a passion for using contextual materials, celebrating the beauty of plants, and exploring ways to experience water.

While living and working in Philadelphia, she contributed her talents and skills to a range of projects in the U.S. and abroad, including universities, U.S. Embassies, UNESCO World Heritage Sites, large public parks, corporate campuses, and individual private gardens.

Outside of work, Maria can be found exploring the woods and waters around Milwaukee with her dog Snoozi Suzi.

Mitchell Murdock is a Senior Project Manager, Certified Arborist, and the Continuing Landscape Consulting lead at Site Design Group, specializing in municipal open space projects, urban forestry, ecological restoration, and continuing landscape consulting. He also leads our Continuing Landscape Consulting program, a customizable service that provides ongoing expert oversight, assessment, and strategic guidance to ensure landscapes perform, evolve, and retain their design intent and resilience over time. His experience working with large municipal park agencies in New York City and Chicago shaped his passion for greening communities and creating landscapes that seamlessly integrate natural and built elements.

Outside of work, Mitch and his wife enjoy staying active and exploring the world with their two children. He also  has kept hundreds of tropical fish and houseplants, so he always has someone to talk to.

Rob Reuland is a Principal at Site Design Group, where he leads the firm’s studio operations,  overseeing project workflows and team coordination across disciplines. Rob also plays a key role in business development. By managing the studio’s operations, Rob ensures that projects are delivered efficiently, creatively, and with a focus on collaboration and client satisfaction.

A licensed Landscape Architect with nearly 20 years of experience, Rob has guided complex projects through entitlements, permitting, and design processes, particularly in Chicago and throughout Illinois. He excels at fostering collaborative relationships and leading teams through every stage of project development.

Rob holds a Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture from Purdue University. His expertise spans long-term planning and design projects, from initial conceptualization through detailed design, construction documentation, and successful completion. 

When he’s not in the studio, Rob can be found running, traveling, golfing, or wandering a big-box store like it’s a perfectly normal way to relax. He also maintains a highly curated list of Chicago dive bars for “research purposes.”

Sophia Essian is a Landscape Architect and BIM Manager at Site Design Group, where she helps connect design, technology, and project delivery. She supports projects from planning and conceptual design through construction documentation and implementation, while also leading BIM standards, coordination workflows, and technical systems that help teams work more effectively together.

Known for her structured thinking, attention to detail, and collaborative approach, Sophia enjoys solving complex coordination challenges and turning them into clear, practical solutions. She works closely with designers, project managers, consultants, and stakeholders to improve communication, strengthen technical quality, and support thoughtful, inclusive project outcomes. Her interests include accessibility, human-centered design, project delivery systems, and finding ways to make both projects and processes more approachable.

Sophia holds a Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture and a Bachelor of Science in Sustainability from Arizona State University.

When she’s not troubleshooting BIM workflows, Sophia is usually spending time with her pampered cat, Chesher, and her very anxious (but beloved) dog, Big Boy. She enjoys walking and biking through Chicago’s neighborhoods, baking cakes with perhaps more buttercream and sprinkles than strictly necessary, organizing her perpetually evolving spaces one closet at a time, and building small habits that make life feel calmer and more intentional. She loves slow mornings with coffee and time to think, books that make sense of messy human moments, and discovering well-loved spaces that make people feel at home.