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WJW Architects

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WJW Architects

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Intentionally crafted, real-world architecture at the intersection of people, place, and purpose.

09/30/2026

Augusta Home is not your typical gut renovation. It’s a pilot project for an Aging-in-Place care model for people with HIV/AIDS developed by local nonprofit Chicago House and Social Service Agency, and it is receiving national attention from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and other housing, social service, and medical organizations across the country.

In 2024, Chicago House was selected as one of just 13 national grantees through HUD’s highly competitive Special Projects of National Significance (SPNS) funding opportunity. Thanks to that funding, Chicago House has partnered with WJW to redesign and renovate a three-story residential building in Chicago's West Town neighborhood to provide housing tailored to the needs of those living with HIV.

Today, more than half of all people living with HIV in the United States are over the age of 50. For those with chronic health conditions such as HIV, it is common to experience “accelerated aging,” where age-related conditions emerge earlier than expected due to the long-term effects of a chronically inflamed immune system.

Chicago House recently hosted HUD HOPWA (Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS) HINT (Housing Interventions to End the HIV Epidemic Program) grantees, Office of HIV Housing staff, and local HUD CPD representatives for a special event at their North Lawndale campus. Jane and Todd presented WJW's work on the renovation of Augusta Home, which will serve as a national pilot site for housing designed specifically for older adults living with HIV. Our work on this project began with participatory design workshops through which WJW engaged stakeholders, including partner organizations, community members, Chicago House staff, and experts in the field. These workshops helped us to identify the design principles that should inform the design of this and other projects providing housing for older adults living with HIV. Chicago House shared the early results from their innovative Aging in Place stratified housing model. Todd and Jane discussed the design principles employed for the Aging-in-Place care model and discussed how this approach can support older adults living with HIV.

Augusta Home is expected to open in late 2027; stay tuned for more updates!

09/25/2026

WJW is pleased to introduce our newest staff member, Dahlia!

Dahlia joins WJW after earning her BA in Architecture from the Illinois Institute of Technology. With a background in graphic design and experience working as a math tutor, she brings a creative and analytical perspective to our team.

With a focus on sustainable design, Dahlia is especially interested in exploring how architecture can respond thoughtfully to the environment while creating functional, engaging spaces for the people who use them. We’re excited to see how her interests and fresh perspective contribute to our work and projects.

Outside of work, Dahlia enjoys mixed media art, painting, embroidery, and discovering new spots in the city.

Welcome to the WJW team, Dahlia! We’re excited to have you join us and look forward to all that’s ahead!

09/23/2026

This summer, WJW welcomed a group of high school students for our third annual Intro to Architecture workshop. Through hands-on activities, design exercises, and a behind-the-scenes look at the architectural process, students explored how ideas become spaces and learned more about the many creative and technical aspects of the profession.

Each student completed a design project, coming up with customized business and residence in "Townsville, IL." Over the course of five weeks, the students walked through the beginning phases of design, created moodboards, and ultimately hand-drafted their designs to share. The culmination of the workshop gave students a chance to do a desk crit with some of our staff, reviewing and discussing their designs.

This year, we also added a field trip: a visit to the offices of ARCO/Murray, a Chicago design and construction firm. Special thank you to ARCO/Murray for the tour!

We loved sharing our passion for architecture with the next generation of designers and seeing their creativity come to life. Thanks to all of the students who joined us—we can’t wait to see where your ideas take you!

09/18/2026

WJW staff recently gathered together for a summer party to celebrate some big changes: five new staff members have joined our team (more on that soon!), and we have expanded our office space at 401 W. Superior. Staff relaxed and enjoyed the late summer golden hour in Todd's beautiful backyard. With over 25 projects under construction this summer, as well as the construction of our new office suite, it was great to step back from the day-to-day flurry and spend some time socializing and getting to know our newest staff members. Cheers to all the hard work everyone has put in in 2026!

09/15/2026

WJW recently celebrated the grand opening of Access South Cook, a new affordable housing community in Park Forest, IL. Todd Wiltse, Parahita Ricci, and Marcelo Muro attended the ribbon cutting event, which featured remarks from Dena Bell, head of IFF Home First; Kirby Burkholder, CEO of IFF; Kristen Faust, executive director of the Illinois Housing Development Authority; Todd Krumwiede, senior vice president of PNC Bank; U.S. House Representative Robin Kelly; and Mayor of the Village of Park Forest Joseph Woods, who did the honors of cutting the ribbon.

What was once a parking lot has been transformed into 44 one- and two-bedroom affordable apartments for people with disabilities, plus a community building, outdoor seating, picnic areas, and an accessible boardwalk over a beautifully landscaped rain garden. The site is located directly across the street from the Park Forest Village Hall, helping the Village to fulfill its dream of reclaiming the defunct site of one of the first and largest post-war suburban shopping malls. Access South Cook will be an important component of creating a vibrant, transit-oriented, mixed-use town center.

Access South Cook is designed to meet Enterprise Green Community certification standards, and features an on-site EV charging station, heat-pump water heaters, all-electric equipment and appliances, a bioretention system with native planting, and pervious paving as part of an advanced stormwater management system.

This project was made possible by tax credit financing through the Illinois Housing Development Authority, as well as a grant from the ComEd Affordable Housing Energy Efficiency program. A special thank you to our project partners: IFF (CDFI) Home First and Blackwood Group LLC.

Check out the press coverage of the project here:
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/31/column-park-forest-apartments-special-needs/
https://villageofparkforest.com/m/newsflash/Home/Detail/3355

09/11/2026

WJW is excited to announce that we have once again formed a team for Habitat for Humanity Chicago's Women Build program. This year our team of eight women from WJW will be joined by Jacquie Clarke of North Branch Design and Janine Everly of PG enlighten, Chicago. Donate here: https://my.habitatchicago.org/WomenBuild2026/WOW

Each year, our Women Build team raises money to make homeownership a reality for women purchasing homes through Habitat for Humanity's Affordable Homeownership Program. While there are many hurdles women face to own a home, the life-changing benefits of affordable homeownership are well documented: improved academic performance, better financial outcomes, and enhanced health and well-being for both children and adults.

Women Build is a unique opportunity for teams of women to fundraise and spend a day volunteering at a build site. As a team, we’ve committed to raising $8,500, and we would be so very grateful for your support. Our build day will be October 8 in West Pullman. Visit our team page to donate and learn more!

09/08/2026

Heidi, Jane, and Todd recently participated in the Illinois Housing Council’s (IHC) annual Golf Outing and Bike Ride. WJW was proud to sponsor the bike ride portion of this year’s event.

The 16-mile ride along the Cal-Sag Bike Trail in Lemont was a great way to enjoy the outdoors, connect with fellow IHC supporters, and spend time with others who share a commitment to strengthening communities across Illinois. It was a fun and energizing day, and we appreciated the opportunity to meet and get to know more members of the IHC community.

WJW is a longtime member and supporter of the Illinois Housing Council, and we’re proud to support IHC’s advocacy efforts to promote the development and preservation of more affordable housing throughout Illinois. We value the important work IHC does to bring industry leaders and advocates together to help address the state’s housing needs.

Thank you to the Illinois Housing Council for another fun and successful event! We look forward to continuing our partnership and supporting IHC’s work in the years ahead.

07/24/2026

WJW is thrilled to announce the grand opening of Silver Birch of Mansfield, an affordable assisted living (AAL) residence in Mansfield, Ohio. This building marks a major milestone for WJW as its first completed project in Ohio and the first project to be completed under the Ohio Housing Finance Agency's (OHFA) new Affordable Assisted Living program, rolled out in late 2024.

Michelle, Liezel, and Clayton recently traveled to Mansfield for the grand opening ceremony, which was covered by the local news site Richland Source [link to story]. The heartwarming event featured new resident Shirley Zimmerman cutting the ribbon to mark the official opening of the building. Welcoming remarks were offered by Dave Cocagne, CEO of Vermilion Development; Ursel J. McElroy, Director of the Ohio Department of Aging; Bill Beagle, Executive Director of the Ohio Housing Finance Agency; Ohio State Senator Mark Romanchuk; and Mayor of Mansfield, Jodie Perry.

Learn more about the project at https://wjwarchitects.com/work-news/senior-living/silver-birch-of-mansfield-grand-opening/

07/20/2026

We are proud to announce that the renovation of Churchview Supportive Living has won the The Polk Bros. Foundation Affordable Rental Housing Preservation Award for 2026! This important project is a legacy project for WJW, as the building was originally designed by WJW and built in the early 2000's. The much needed renovation was completed in 2025 and included all new interior finishes, mechanical systems and plumbing fixtures. A resident-in-place renovation brings with it its own challenges, but the end result of updated resident apartments and refreshed common areas to bring a revived sense of home to these southwest side seniors is what it's all about. WJW was a proud to partner once again with Greater Southwest on this special project, along with Toro Construction Corp as the general contractor partner. Thank you to LISC Chicago and the judges for acknowledging this important work, and congratulations to the team!

06/25/2026

WJW participated in this year's Bike Commuter Challenge for the second year in a row, and finished 7th city-wide among companies with 24-99 employees! This year, those of us commuting from neighborhoods west and north of our office in River North had the added challenge of navigating around the Chicago Avenue bridge closure. While this led to some circuitous (and congested) routes to get across the river, it did give us a bit more mileage! Over a period of two weeks, our cycling staff logged several hundred miles of commuting.

Thanks to the for organizing, and for those in this friendly pedaling competition, we'll see you in the bike lane next year!

Address

401 W Superior Street
Chicago, IL
60654

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 6pm
Tuesday	9am - 6pm
Wednesday	9am - 6pm
Thursday	9am - 6pm
Friday	9am - 6pm

Telephone

+13126425587

Website

http://www.wjwarchitects.com/

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