The Practice · Work With Noon

Five doors into the work.

Apprentice. Partner. Write. Reside. Team.

Noon is not a staffing agency. It is a practice that wants more people moving through it.

Some paid. Some partnership. Some residency. The five doors below are the working set.

Each form goes straight to Dorian. We respond inside a week.

§ I

Apprenticeships.

Paid field training. Real work on real properties. We teach by doing.

  • Duration: 6–12 weeks per cohort, seasonal
  • Location: Hill Country and San Antonio properties
  • Pay: Above market for general field labor, scaled by week + skill
  • You learn: Site reading, hydrology, native plant ID, stonework, drainage construction, drone survey, project sequencing
  • You bring: A reliable vehicle, willingness to be outside, a real interest in ecological infrastructure (no prior experience required)
Cohort terms in confirmation · Apply to be considered for the next season

Apply for an apprenticeship.

Free · Response within one business week

§ II

Trade partnerships.

Specialty trades we don't run in-house. We refer at direct rate; no markup added.

  • What we look for: Electricians, plumbers, masons, fence and gate builders, irrigation specialists, arborists, equipment operators, surveyors, well services
  • Working agreement: Listed in the Exchange Builders directory once a successful project completes together
  • Why it works: Our clients want trades they can trust. Yours benefit from the brand-pull of being in the Noon network.
  • What we require: Insurance, references from at least 3 prior clients, a willingness to work under a clear scope and timeline
Continuous intake · San Antonio + Hill Country preference

Propose a trade partnership.

Free · Response within one business week

§ III

Writing + research.

Paid contributors to Field Notes, Atlas entries, and Field Manual chapters. This is a real practice; we publish what's accurate.

  • Field Notes: Short site-specific essays. ~600 words. From a single property visit, observation, or finding.
  • Atlas entries: Longer-form regional readings. ~1,500–3,000 words. Hydrology, vernacular, ecology, place.
  • Field Manual chapters: Methodology. How to read soil, sequence a build, design a swale. Written from field experience.
  • What we look for: Working knowledge of Texas ecology, hydrology, native plants, or building trades. Clear, direct prose. No academic hedging.
  • Pay: Per piece, scaled by length and depth. Bylines.
Continuous intake · Pitch the piece, not the resume

Pitch a piece.

Free · Response within one business week

§ IV

Residencies at Johnson Ranch.

Two-week artist + maker residencies at Johnson Ranch, Bulverde. Land, lodging, and a question to work against.

  • Who: Artists, sculptors, photographers, musicians, writers, ceremonial workers
  • Where: Johnson Ranch — the property that holds the Lotus fountain
  • Duration: Two weeks per residency, one resident per season
  • Stipend: Materials honorarium + lodging on site + meals shared with the practice
  • The agreement: The work you make stays with you. One piece per residency joins the Noon cultural archive with full attribution.
Launching 2027 · Expressions of interest open now

Apply for a residency.

Free · Reviewed quarterly

§ V

Internal team.

Open positions when we have them. Right now, the team is small — tell us what you'd add.

  • Lead designer / project manager: Eventually. Not currently posting.
  • Field crew lead: Considered case by case via apprenticeships above.
  • Operations + studio management: Eventually. Not currently posting.
  • Anyone with a deep specialty — ecology research, brand work, photography, software for the practice — the door is open.
Open-spec intake · Tell us what you'd add

Tell us what you'd add.

Free · Response when there's a fit