Designer Tori Gitto grew up in Leominster, Massachusetts, where she explored local forests and trails, built forts, and climbed trees in a close-knit neighborhood. From a young age, she was always creating, drawing, and nurturing a curiosity about the natural world. This curiosity led her to pursue a bachelor's degree in geology at the College of Charleston, where she studied the vast narrative of geologic time. Focusing on marine geology and climate, Tori researched coastlines and the seafloor, gaining hands-on experience aboard a research vessel in the Gulf of Alaska and working as a survey technician synthesizing seafloor maps from raw data.

After returning to New England—and solid ground—Tori sought to further her studies, aiming to bridge the gap between the beauty of nature and the built environment. Drawn to an agrarian lifestyle, she apprenticed at a biodynamic farm in New Hampshire, where she learned patience, diligence, and the value of timing and planning. Her experience taught her what it truly means to thrive on a farmer’s limited resources.

With a renewed appreciation for a grounded lifestyle, Tori pursued her master's degree in architecture and landscape architecture at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where she received the ARCC King Student Medal for Excellence in Architectural and Environmental Research. She joined Whitten Architects as a designer, following her passion for residential design and architecture rooted in both site and lifestyle. In her free time, Tori enjoys leatherworking, nature walks, and discovering inspiring places around Maine.