Robert T. Shiota
President, Artisan Communities
Robert T. Shiota is president of Artisan Communities, a private Southern California home builder and developer, where he oversees all aspects of site selection, planning, development, building and marketing.
Shiota has been an active participant in Southern California's building industry for 20 years, managing all aspects of the building process—from land acquisition and development to home design and construction—on several thousand single-family homes and condominiums.
Prior to founding Artisan Communities, Shiota held executive-level positions with some of Southern California's leading homebuilders, planners and developers, including RSI Development, Richmond American Homes, Standard Pacific Corporation and Van Dell & Associates.
Through his work, Shiota has left an indelible mark on Southern California, playing an active role in the development, design and construction of some of the area's most desirable planned communities, including The Irvine Company's Crystal Cove in Newport Coast, the award-winning Chesapeake and Arborrage neighborhoods in Ladera Ranch, Isla Mar at Aviara in Carlsbad, Hillsborough at Wood Ranch in Simi Valley, The Fairways at Redhawk in Temecula and Brentwood Crest in Rancho Cucamonga.
His expertise in urban planning is showcased in the City of Irvine where, in his role as city planner, he was responsible for processing and presenting the Village of Woodbridge, University Town Center and the Irvine Industrial Complex.
Shiota is also an active leader in the building industry and served as director of the Building Industry Association of Southern California (Orange Chapter) and as a charter member of the American Institute of Certified Planners.
He holds a bachelor's degree in architecture and a master's degree in urban design from the University of Southern California, and a certificate in residential marketing from the University of California-Irvine. In addition, he is a California licensed general contractor and real estate broker.
