DeLanty is a design-builder with fifteen years of experience leading transdisciplinary design and field-based projects internationally. He holds a BArch and BFA degrees from the Rhode Island School of Design and an MArch2 from the China Academy of Art (CAA).

After working with Wang Shu, recipient of the 2012 Pritzker Prize, at Amateur Architecture Studio, Desmond founded Hangzhou Art & Design Collaborative (HADC) a design-build-research studio focused on alternative models for rural revitalization projects in the countryside of eastern China. This work informed his doctoral research, Crafting the Contemporary Countryside, while he continued working with Wang Shu, teaching at the CAA, and pursuing his independent practice. In 2020, he returned to NY and cofounded EcoDepot, an architecture design-build-research studio focused on sustainable building solutions, research partnerships, and experiential learning initiatives - exploring the intersection of creative, professional, and academic practice.

In 2025, DeLanty launched FIELDwork [Foundation for International Experiential Learning and Design Work] a transdisciplinary initiative connecting and creative practices with scientific research. He cultivates partnerships with researchers and academic institutions throughout the U.S. Working across scales, his practice ranges from designing and building furniture and houses to developing restoration, planning, and long-term transformation strategies for buildings, campuses, institutions, and villages.