About.

Claire Costello is a native Phoenician who received unique exposure to rambling ranches, mid-century modern and desert architecture. Claire was young when she was asked to pick up a shovel and do some dirty work at her aunt and uncles in Tucson. This “dirty work” was digging dirt to build the first rammed earth house Claire had ever known of. Leaving the desert behind, Claire ventured to the University of Colorado at Boulder where she received concurrent Bachelor of Science degrees in English and Communication. Her time away from Arizona led Claire to travel the world, fueling a desire to make real change and igniting a belief in the power of action.

Upon returning to her hometown in 2009, Claire sought to make a familiar place new, exciting and her own. Emboldened with an entrepreneurial spirit, Claire co-founded The Ranch Mine in 2010 and is committed to improving her hometown of Phoenix one home at a time. Today, Claire embraces a hands-on approach to design and development and works toward shaping a more vibrant community.

Cavin Costello is the son of a civil engineer who endeavored to build his own house in rural Connecticut. It is safe to say that this exposure to building systems mixed with a “go get ’em” attitude laid the foundation for Cavin’s future. Cavin pursued his childhood passion at Northeastern University from which he earned a Bachelor of Science in Architecture and a Master of Architecture degree, graduating Summa Cum Laude. During school breaks Cavin used his free time to explore, traveling the country visiting numerous cities, states, national parks, and historical sites, building his appreciation for nature and history and learning how culture and context affect the built environment.

Since relocating to Arizona in 2009 and co-founding The Ranch Mine in 2010, Cavin has designed over 200 projects and become an internationally renowned Architect, known for his designs that harmonize the unique qualities of his clients with the natural environment. In 2015, Cavin won the "Future of Architecture" award from the American Institute of Architects (AIA) National. Cavin is currently licensed in Arizona, Tennessee, Montana, Colorado, Texas, and North Carolina.

Growing up in Arizona, Rachel developed a robust appreciation for the joys and challenges of desert-dwelling. After years of traveling to different states and countries, learning from various cultures and people, she returned to Phoenix in order to employ that knowledge while engaging with the built environment. This, in addition to her background in both architecture and engineering, has allowed Rachel to approach design with a unique perspective that she continues to develop and apply to every aspect of a project.

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Rachel joined The Ranch Mine in 2018 shortly after receiving her Masters of Architecture from UCLA. She also earned her bachelor’s degree in Structural Engineering from Brown University. She is a registered architect in the state of Arizona.

Geoff grew up in Georgia during a time when houses were being built by the hundreds. Walking through those neighborhoods during construction is when he fell in love with Architecture. It was also during this time that he was first introduced to the desert southwest during a backpacking trip to New Mexico.

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After undergrad and living in Europe, Geoff moved to Oregon for graduate school for a change of pace and scenery. It's here that his passion for mountain biking, trail building, and architecture began to really formulate. He spent a number of years working on projects of all scales and typologies including; digital fabrication, creative office renovations, performing arts centers, multi-family residential, and various mass timber projects. During this time with Lever Architecture, he was able to focus on his original love of residential architecture, working on a number of residential projects over a few years.

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In an attempt to escape the pacific northwest winter, he found himself in Phoenix for a sunny vacation and it's there that his childhood memories of the desert southwest resurfaced and he knew he needed to find his way back there professionally.

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Geoff holds a BS in Architecture from Georgia Tech and a MArch from The University of Oregon.

Nicole was raised in Southern Louisiana where art classes, folders of unbuilt treehouse designs and a deep curiosity for the region's unique blend of culture, architecture, music, and cuisine were her gateways into the creative world. Hurricane Katrina expanded her understanding of the boundless powers of nature over the built environment, influencing her choice to pursue an architectural education.

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After graduating with a combination BS and MArch from Tulane University, she sought out a new and entirely different locale by moving to Phoenix. She spent over 6 years working in commercial architecture on a varied collection of project types and scales, including multifamily residential, municipal, master planning, adaptive reuse, and behavioral health care.

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Nicole enjoys reading, cooking, and exploring, and has gotten to know the desert intimately through camping, offroading, hiking, and paddleboarding. She joined The Ranch Mine in 2022 and is a registered architect in the state of Arizona.

Benjamin was born and raised in the United Kingdom, where he earned a Bachelor of Architecture at the University of Lincoln. Ben went on to work with a variety of successful architects in the UK whilst continuing further studies in architecture. His love of travel ultimately led him to the United States and a move to Arizona in 2015.

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Having gained a wide experience in high end residential and commercial projects, both in the US and Europe, his passion for exceptional design continued him on a path to The Ranch Mine in October 2018. Specializing in 3D visualization and representation he became an integral part of any project.

Growing up in Tennessee, Katie developed a love for varying landscapes from the plains along the Mississippi to the old forested mountains of the Smokies. This gradually evolved into a passion for experiencing different cultures of the world, understood through not only the landscape of the place, but also the food, architecture, and people. After working in London and New York, she decided to return to the mountains, this time in a valley surrounded by giant Doug Fir forests and old sleeping volcanoes - Portland, Oregon.

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Katie has ten years of experience in creative office, hospitality, mass timber structures, and high end residential. Her passion lies in the latter, where architecture becomes most personal and tactile. Katie’s focus on exceptional design lends to architecture that is of a place while also deeply personal and reflective of the clients she works alongside.

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Katie joined the Ranch Mine in 2023. She holds a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Tennessee and is a licensed architect in the state of New York.

Born and raised in the vast prairie landscapes of North Dakota, Blake discovered his passion for architecture and design at an early age. It all began within the walls of a mid-century split-level house—the very place where his creative spirit took root.

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As a child, family road trips to Montana ignited a love with the rugged beauty of the Rocky Mountain West. These adventures shaped his perspective and set him on a path toward higher education at Montana State University. After earning a Bachelor of Environmental Design and a Master of Architecture degree, life's twists and turns led Blake back to North Dakota. There, he honed their skills by contributing to diverse projects—ranging from residential to commercial and institutional. The mountains kept calling, and Blake eventually found his way back to Montana where he worked as the in-house designer for a local development group.

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Blake enjoys going on adventures with his family, mountain biking, and catching a good sunset. With over 15 years of experience, Blake joined The Ranch Mine in early 2024.