Buildings that belong where they stand.
A Chicago studio of thirty architects, designers and landscape architects. We make public buildings, homes and workplaces that are generous, durable and low in carbon.
Four things we believe
Every project is different. These principles are not.
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01
Start with the site
We spend days on every site before we draw a line: the sun, the wind, the neighbours and the way people already move through it.
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02
Build less, build better
We keep what we can, use fewer materials and choose ones that age well. Every project has a whole-life carbon budget.
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03
Design with the people who use it
Librarians, teachers, residents and children all sit at our table. Their knowledge makes buildings better.
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04
Draw every detail
A building is only as good as its junctions. We draw them all, and we build a physical model of every project.
Two recent buildings
Harbourside Public Library
A three-storey library wrapped around a stepped atrium that has become the city’s favourite rainy-day room.
- 6,400 m²
- LEED Platinum
- Design Excellence Award 2026
Northside Primary School
A school for 600 children designed as a small village of four clusters, each with its own courtyard.
- 7,900 m²
- Net zero operational carbon
- Cross-laminated timber
What we do
Awards
- 2026 Design Excellence AwardChicago Architecture GuildHarbourside Public Library
- 2026 Civic Building of the YearMidwest Architecture PrizeNorthside Primary School
- 2025 Honourable Mention, ResidentialResidential Architect AwardsRidge House
- 2025 Housing Award, ShortlistWorld Building ForumFoundry Lane Apartments
- 2024 Landscape AwardMidwest Landscape SocietyLakeshore Pavilion
They listened to three hundred children before they drew a single classroom. You can feel it in every corner of the school.
Partners and associates
Have a site, a building or an idea?
The first meeting is free. Tell us what you are thinking and we will tell you honestly how we could help.
