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Nurture Architects

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Nurture Architects

Nurture is an architecture studio driven to create positive environmental impacts that consciously sustain communities and culture.

Nurture evolved from HPZS, a long running studio renowned for historic preservation and sustainable design. HPZS is an award-winning Chicago-based architecture firm with an excellent reputation in historic preservation focused on sustainable outcomes.

05/22/2026

Thank you to everyone who joined us at the City of Chicago Department of Planning & Development 2026 Chicago Preservation Expo at the beautiful Chicago Cultural Center in celebration of . 🏛️

It was a pleasure connecting with City staff, community organizations, preservation advocates, and fellow professionals who are all committed to protecting and revitalizing Chicago’s historic places.

A special thank you to all who stopped by to speak with Katherine Pohl and Gwen Stricker throughout the event. We are grateful to be part of a community advancing thoughtful preservation work across Chicago and beyond!

05/16/2026

is a time to celebrate the places that shape us, and the responsibility we share in caring for them. Nurture is thrilled to take part in the 2026 Chicago Preservation Expo on Monday, May 18th!

Preservation is where our story begins. Our architects have led the care of cultural icons, civic treasures, and neighborhood character for 50 years. In Chicago and across the country, we support teams with preservation design, conditions assessments, and technical documentation, and serve as project leaders advocating for historic architecture and adaptive reuse alongside historians, conservators, and building scientists. 🏛️

Through this free event, attendees have the opportunity to connect with City staff, community and nonprofit organizations, professional service providers, and trades experts at the forefront of historic preservation in Chicago, including Katherine Pohl and Gwen Stricker of Nurture.

We’ll see you at the beautiful Chicago Cultural Center!

Get your ticket here: bit.ly/3R8WBSU

05/15/2026

Yesterday at AIA Chicago CRAN Symposium at The Mart, Nurture’s President and CEO, April Hughes, joined the ArchiTalks Panel to share the story behind the Yannell Conservation Habitat – a project rooted in the belief that residential architecture can restore more than it consumes.⁠
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Presented as part of this year’s “House, Health, and Heritage” symposium, the conversation traced the design evolution of our regenerative home pursuing all seven petals of the Living Futureture Living Building Challenge while integrating Passive House principles to drive operational performance, material health, and occupant well-being further.⁠
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April walked attendees through the systems and decisions shaping the project, from enclosure continuity and thermal bridge mitigation to integrated water strategies, energy balance modeling, and Red List-conscious material selection, demonstrating how high-performance design can become both deeply technical and human.⁠
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More than a singular residence, the Yannell Conservation Habitat reflects a broader shift in practice: toward homes that are resilient, restorative, and designed in reciprocal relationship with the environments they inhabit.⁠
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Thank you to AIA Chicago and the CRAN leadership team for creating space for thoughtful dialogue around the future of residential design and the role architects play in shaping healthier, more sustainable communities.⁠
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📷: Travis Frangie of Evening Cue Photography

05/11/2026

Nurture is expanding!

We’re looking for a Registered Architect with 12+ years of experience to join our studio as an Associate, leading thoughtful and technical projects rooted in high-performance design.
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At Nurture, our work is guided by curiosity and a deep commitment to people and place. From regenerative strategies to resilient communities, we believe design can create lasting environmental and social impact. We offer a hybrid work environment, competitive compensation, and comprehensive benefits within a mission-driven studio culture.
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If this approach to practice resonates with you, visit bit.ly/Nurture_Associate_2026 to learn more and apply.

05/08/2026

The CRAN Symposium is a leading forum for residential practice, and April will represent Nurture at ArchiTalks with a presentation on the Yannell Conservation Habitat, a regenerative home designed to meet all seven petals of the Living Building Challenge.

Hosted by AIA Chicago on May 14th at The Mart, the program convenes architects advancing residential innovation through systems integration and performance-driven methodology. April’s presentation synthesizes outcomes from integrating the Living Building Challenge and Passive House design, with emphasis on energy balance modeling, enclosure continuity, and thermal bridge mitigation as primary drivers of operational performance.

It also examines integrated water systems targeting closed-loop performance, material strategies aligned with Red List compliance and embodied carbon reduction, and the translation of LBC Petals into quantifiable architectural and systems-based decision-making.

Save your spot here: bit.ly/Cran-2026

📸: Michigan Drone Photography

04/23/2026

As Earth Day celebrations continue, we’re reflecting on the power of community-driven design to shape healthier, more connected public landscapes. ⁠🌎️
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Last week, Nurture shared early concept drawings at a community meeting for Steelworkers Park, part of an ongoing dialogue to reimagine this 16.5-acre former U.S. Steel site as a resilient, accessible park rooted in both ecological renewal and neighborhood identity.⁠
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Guided by input from residents and partners, the evolving framework plan explores ways to strengthen connections along the South Lakefront while introducing native habitat restoration, shoreline protection, and spaces for gathering and reflection. It’s an effort to honor the site’s industrial past while shaping a more inclusive future for the Chicago community.⁠
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Learn more about our community projects taking shape in our Earth Day Newsletter here: bit.ly/Nurture_Newsletter

04/21/2026

The Nurture Team is growing! 🌱
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We are seeking a Registered Architect (12+ years) to join our team as an Associate, leading complex projects that integrate design, project management, and technical leadership with a focus on high-performance design.⁠
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Nurture is a collaborative, mission-driven studio where design serves both people and place, offering a hybrid schedule, competitive salary, and comprehensive benefits.⁠
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If you’re driven to create meaningful environmental impact and help shape a more resilient future, click here to learn more: bit.ly/Nurture-Associate-2026

04/17/2026

Regenerative and conservation infrastructure is progressing at the Yannell Conservation Habitat with the installation of 3 wind turbines and a 10,000 gallon rainwater cistern. 💧

These systems are central to the project’s net-positive energy and water strategies, working in tandem with solar arrays and a constructed wetland to support a resilient and restorative landscape.

04/15/2026

Nurture is proud to announce the Seed Nursery project for Citizens for Conservation, extending their legacy of seed conservation, volunteer engagement, and ecological stewardship across northeastern Illinois.⁠
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Citizens for Conservation is a nonprofit land trust and conservation organization based in Barrington, Illinois, dedicated to preserving and restoring native landscapes like prairies, wetlands, and oak savannas across the region. They lead hands-on ecological restoration projects — including major efforts like the Flint Creek Savanna — while mobilizing volunteers to remove invasive species, plant native flora, and rebuild resilient ecosystems. Beyond land stewardship, they run robust environmental education programs for all ages, fostering a deep connection to nature and long-term conservation ethic in the community.⁠
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The project brings together raised growing beds, greenhouse and hoophouse structures, a seed barn that functions as both a working hub and community gathering space, and site improvements like pathways and utility upgrades to support current operations and future adaptability.⁠
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This next chapter transforms years of care for the land into built form, strengthening CFC’s ability to restore biodiversity and provide hands-on education for volunteers. 🌱

04/10/2026

Preservation begins with understanding. Through careful assessment, documentation, and collaborative review, we uncover the stories embedded in each structure: its materials, evolution, and role within the community.

As conservators and technical specialists, we translate these insights into thoughtful, informed strategies that guide each stage of the work with respect for authenticity.

In this way, preservation becomes a stewardship, bridging past and future to shape resilient, meaningful places.

Address

314 West Institute Place, Suite 1E
Chicago, IL
60610

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm

Telephone

+13129449600

Website

http://www.nurturearch.com/

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