Brian Vitale is the Co-Managing Director and inspirational leader of Gensler Chicago. Named one of the 50 people “shaping Chicago’s design culture,” his influential work has earned over 80 major design honors locally, nationally, and internationally. A firm believer in the benefits of blurring the line between academia and professional worlds, Vitale has served as adjunct design faculty at multiple universities and has delivered convocation speeches at both the University of Illinois’ School of Architecture and Columbia College Chicago where he was bestowed an Honorary Doctorate of the Arts for his transformative work. Brian is an alum of both the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Washington University in St Louis, where he recently received the school’s Award of Distinction, given to an alum who has demonstrated outstanding accomplishments in their career.
Brian Vitale is the Co-Managing Director and inspirational leader of Gensler Chicago. Named one of the 50 people “shaping Chicago’s design culture,” his influential work has earned over 80 major design honors locally, nationally, and internationally. A firm believer in the benefits of blurring the line between academia and professional worlds, Vitale has served as adjunct design faculty at multiple universities and has delivered convocation speeches at both the University of Illinois’ School of Architecture and Columbia College Chicago where he was bestowed an Honorary Doctorate of the Arts for his transformative work. Brian is an alum of both the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Washington University in St Louis, where he recently received the school’s Award of Distinction, given to an alum who has demonstrated outstanding accomplishments in their career.
Join us tomorrow for the second event in our lecture series!
Book talk on: The Elements of Construction N. Clifford Ricker, Architecture, and the University of Illinois
Professor and author Marci Uihlein examines the legacy of Nathan Clifford Ricker (1843-1924), a central figure in shaping architectural education in the United States. As head of the School of Architecture at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, dean of the College of Engineering, and chair of the Illinois State Board of Examiners of Architects, Ricker helped define the discipline at a formative moment-educating nearly a quarter of the nation’s architecture students between 1873 and 1916.
Join us tomorrow for the second event in our lecture series!
Book talk on: The Elements of Construction N. Clifford Ricker, Architecture, and the University of Illinois
Professor and author Marci Uihlein examines the legacy of Nathan Clifford Ricker (1843-1924), a central figure in shaping architectural education in the United States. As head of the School of Architecture at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, dean of the College of Engineering, and chair of the Illinois State Board of Examiners of Architects, Ricker helped define the discipline at a formative moment-educating nearly a quarter of the nation’s architecture students between 1873 and 1916.
2026 Spring Midterms: IASAPBV Junior and Senior studios
Visit @iasapbv to learn more about what our Barcelona students are up to...
148
0
archatillinoisMar 23
Spring 2026 School of Architecture Lecture Series
Unless otherwise noted, all lectures are scheduled to begin at 5:30 PM in the Plym Auditorium.
03.30 | 2026 5:30PM / Plym Auditorium. Kimberly Dowdell VP of Strategic Partnerships at Amrize, Chicago
04.01 | 2026 12:15PM / Atrium Marci Uhlein Associate Director for Research and Associate Professor at ISoA Book talk
04.06 | 2026 5:30PM / Architecture 120 Ron Klemencic Chairman and CEO at Magnusson Klemencic Associates, Seattle Theiss Lecture
04.13 | 2025 5:30PM / Plym Auditorium Amin Taha Founder, Chairperson at Groupwork, London, UK Tutor, Royal College of Art, London
04.20 | 2026 5:30PM / Plym Auditorium Balazs Bognar Partner at Kengo Kuma & Associates, Tokyo, Japan
The ISoA lecture series invites reflection on the evolving role of designers as critical agents in shaping equitable, resilient, and culturally grounded futures. In the face of today’s social and environmental urgencies, this series explores how designers think, make, and act within and beyond the built environment. Contributing practitioners and educators working across architecture, landscape, and urbanism activate design as a tool for critique, transformation, and care. Together, these voices sketch a field in motion—one that is actively reshaping what it means to practice today.
Unless otherwise noted, all lectures are scheduled to begin at 5:30 PM in the Plym Auditorium.
03.30 | 2026 5:30PM / Plym Auditorium. Kimberly Dowdell VP of Strategic Partnerships at Amrize, Chicago
04.01 | 2026 12:15PM / Atrium Marci Uhlein Associate Director for Research and Associate Professor at ISoA Book talk
04.06 | 2026 5:30PM / Architecture 120 Ron Klemencic Chairman and CEO at Magnusson Klemencic Associates, Seattle Theiss Lecture
04.13 | 2025 5:30PM / Plym Auditorium Amin Taha Founder, Chairperson at Groupwork, London, UK Tutor, Royal College of Art, London
04.20 | 2026 5:30PM / Plym Auditorium Balazs Bognar Partner at Kengo Kuma & Associates, Tokyo, Japan
The ISoA lecture series invites reflection on the evolving role of designers as critical agents in shaping equitable, resilient, and culturally grounded futures. In the face of today’s social and environmental urgencies, this series explores how designers think, make, and act within and beyond the built environment. Contributing practitioners and educators working across architecture, landscape, and urbanism activate design as a tool for critique, transformation, and care. Together, these voices sketch a field in motion—one that is actively reshaping what it means to practice today.
As we are enjoying our first day of spring break, here is a look back on our 2026 Spring Midterm Reviews.
Seeing all of the spectacular work students have done, ranging from beautiful drawings and models to digital fabrication prototyping, has been a great reward for the School of Architecture Community. Thank you to our faculty, students, and guest reviewers for another memorable midterm.
As we are enjoying our first day of spring break, here is a look back on our 2026 Spring Midterm Reviews.
Seeing all of the spectacular work students have done, ranging from beautiful drawings and models to digital fabrication prototyping, has been a great reward for the School of Architecture Community. Thank you to our faculty, students, and guest reviewers for another memorable midterm.
Five Program Areas shape our curriculum, giving students the opportunity to think about architecture and design at different scales and through different media.
We have exchange programs with Munich and Switzerland.
Discover Architecture
Discover Architecture is a summer program on the University of Illinois campus. It is open to high school and pre-college students. The program is organized around the design studio and provides a studio-focused, design-intensive workshop over the course of a week.
Open post by archatillinois with ID 18116850514643162
