Our Team
Mike Fraze, ASLA
Owner
Mike draws inspiration for his work from both his children and his own childhood experiences. He creates tangible and cognitive connections between individuals and their surrounding environment. Rather than focusing on two-dimensional compositional studies, he develops his projects as sequences of experiences. Before establishing Whole System Studio, Mike co-founded Studio Outside and worked as a Partner from 2010 to 2024. He also led MESA’s environmental education and parks studio from 1996 to 2010. By prioritizing the blending of ecology, culture, and perspective into regionally unique and educational experiences, he expanded the firm’s range of work. Furthermore, Mike has led numerous civic planning initiatives throughout the state and nation. He focuses on creating places that reflect social and economic values.
Mark Thomas
Mark Thomas is a seasoned designer with extensive experience across diverse project types and scales, including private gardens, environmental education spaces, campuses, historical restorations, and ranch master plans. While his expertise spans a broad range, his true passion lies in the intricate details of small private gardens and institutional projects.
Mark plays a vital role in cultivating client relationships, coordinating consultants, and overseeing project implementation from concept to construction. His strong work ethic, combined with a unique blend of design talent, management expertise, and organizational skills, makes him an invaluable asset to every project team. With a keen eye for detail and a commitment to sustainability, he strives to craft designs that are both innovative and enduring.
Charlie Pruitt
Charlie Pruitt has a deep passion for design representation and communication, rooted in a lifelong love of the visual arts. He thrives on expressing design ideas through both digital and physical drawing and modeling, using these tools to convey intent and highlight the unique character of each project.
With experience spanning a wide range of projects—from expansive corporate campuses to intimate mixed-use retail spaces—Charlie has worked with an equally diverse array of stakeholders. His interest in placemaking was sparked by countless hours spent outdoors in southwest Louisiana and has been further enriched through extensive travel.
As the founder of Folly Visual, Charlie specializes in transforming project visions into compelling, tangible visuals that bring designs to life.
Cameron Holmes
Cameron Holmes brings over 17 years of diverse experience in landscape architecture, with a deep-rooted passion for native planting and sustainable design. Inspired by a childhood love for the outdoors and the legacy of her North Carolina sharecropper grandparents, Cameron knew at a young age that landscape architecture was her calling. Her work spans public, private, and educational sectors, with expertise in grading, planting design, and construction documents. As a project manager and Texas Master Naturalist, she thrives on site challenges, the design and artistic approach, and balancing the vision of the client with the realities of budget, scale, and place.
