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Contact: Jessica Dacey, Director of Communications
Phone: 760-820-2275

Joshua Tree, CA – Desert conservation has gained a new champion with the appointment of renowned architect Ron Radziner to the board of directors of the Mojave Desert Land Trust.

Radziner, FAIA, is Design Partner of Marmol Radziner, a design-build practice known for its innovative design approach and expertise in architecture, construction, landscape design, interior design, and the restoration of historic modern buildings. Radziner leads the design of every project and develops solutions that provide a unique architectural identity while forging strong connections between interior and exterior spaces.

Radziner has a long association with the Mojave Desert. He and his family own a cabin in the Morongo Basin which has served as a frequent retreat over the years to experience the magic of the Mojave Desert. Radziner is a passionate supporter of conservation and he is deeply committed to the preservation of the Mojave Desert and other unique natural landscapes.  As a supporter of the Land Trust, he has seen the organization evolve into a leader in California desert conservation. The Land Trust has protected nearly 80,000 acres of important desert habitat and holds the non-profit record for donating most tracts of land to the National Park Service since 2006.  

As Design Partner of Marmol Radziner, Radziner has led nearly a dozen projects in the desert. In addition to a five-year restoration of Richard Neutra’s Kaufmann House, the firm has completed historic restorations of homes by modern masters like Albert Frey and Buff and Hensman and a prototype prefabricated house in Desert Hot Springs.

In 2015, the Palm Springs Modern Committee recognized Radziner and business partner Leo Marmol as Pioneers in Modern Restoration and New Design. The firm’s lauded transformation of  E. Stewart Williams’ Santa Fe Federal Savings and Loan into the Palm Springs Art Museum’s Architecture and Design Center in 2014 has garnered awards from the California Preservation Foundation, the State Office of Historic Preservation and California State Parks, and Docomomo US.

The firm’s latest new home in the desert, in La Quinta, was recognized in 2016 with an Honor Award by the AIA Inland California Chapter.

Radziner’s integration of architecture, construction, landscape and interiors have received national recognition, including numerous American Institute of Architects awards at both state and national levels, and three American Society of Landscape Architects National Honor Awards. In 2007,he was elevated to the prestigious College of the Fellows of the American Institute of Architects.

Active in his profession, Radziner speaks at universities and conferences worldwide as a leader in innovative architecture, interiors ,and landscape design.

Radinzer’s appointment to the board of directors of the Mojave Desert Land Trust will bring an exciting new dimension to an already accomplished board, particularly in the integration of human spaces with nature and the landscape.

The board currently includes John Simpson, real estate executive, Michael Avila, vice president of development for the John Wayne Cancer Institute at Providence Saint John’s Health Center, Peter Brookes, Iraq veteran and water expert and executive, Gwen Barker, a local business owner and marketing professional, Jon Christensen, environmental journalist and adjunct professor at UCLA, Robyn Helmlinger, a law partner at Orrick, and Kelly Herbinson, a biologist and desert tortoise conservation researcher.

“It is an honor to be among the diverse and passionate group of individuals that make up the Mojave Desert Land Trust board of directors. As both an architect and builder with an affinity for the natural desert, I look forward to helping the Land Trust continue their stewardship of the invaluable resource that is the Mojave Desert.” – Ron Radziner, FAIA, Marmol Radziner

“The Mojave Desert Land Trust is honored to have Ron Radziner join our illustrious board of directors. As someone with a deep appreciation for the beauty of our desert and the interconnectedness between man and nature, he will help guide our work as leading conservationists in the Mojave.” – Geary Hund, Executive Director, Mojave Desert Land Trust

The Mojave Desert Land Trust (MDLT) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with the mission to protect and care for lands with natural, scenic, and cultural value within the Mojave Desert. Since its founding in 2006the land trust has conserved more than 78,622 acres, donating more tracts of land to the National Park Service in the last decade than any other organization. In addition to acquiring land, the land trust established a seedbank to ensure the preservation of native species. MDLT operates an on site nursery at its Joshua Tree headquarters which propagates native species for ecosystem restoration. MDLT educates and advocates for the conservation of the desert, involving hundreds of volunteers in our work. For more information, visit mdlt.org.