The University of Chicago John W. Boyer Center in Paris | Paris France

By CGN Staff

Studio Gang has been named the recipient of the 2026 AIA Chicago Firm Award, one of the organization's highest honors recognizing a firm's sustained excellence in design, professional leadership, and contributions to the advancement of architecture.

Founded in Chicago in 1997 by internationally acclaimed architect Jeanne Gang, FAIA, Studio Gang has grown into a global architecture and urban design practice with offices in Chicago, New York, San Francisco, and Paris. The firm, which includes more than 130 architects, designers, and planners, is recognized for creating projects that strengthen connections between people, communities, and the natural environment through what it calls an approach of "actionable idealism."

"Studio Gang embodies all this award was created to celebrate and honor," said Jen Masengarb, Assoc. AIA, Executive Director of AIA Chicago. "Over nearly thirty years, they have demonstrated what it looks like when design excellence and genuine care for community go hand in hand. Studio Gang is deeply rooted in Chicago while also having a global impact on the way our profession sees its responsibility to people, place, and the planet."

The jury praised the firm's lasting influence beyond individual buildings, noting its leadership in sustainable design, technical innovation, public engagement, and the evolution of architectural practice.

Jeanne Gang said the recognition is especially meaningful because of the firm's Chicago roots.

"Chicago has one of the richest architectural legacies of any American city, and AIA Chicago has played an important role supporting this history and culture," Gang said. "Being recognized by AIA Chicago as part of this legacy is an incredible honor. Even as we've grown to become an international firm, Chicago remains in our DNA and deep inside our heart and soul."

Juliane Wolf, AIA, Design Principal and Partner leading Studio Gang's Chicago office, added that the award reflects the firm's long-standing relationship with the city.

"We're so proud to call Chicago our home and be part of its strong architecture community," Wolf said. "We've had the honor to help shape this city through projects ranging from riverfront boathouses and restored ecological habitats to skyscrapers that have redefined the skyline. To have this work recognized with AIA Chicago's Firm Award is a special moment for us."

Among Studio Gang's notable projects are The St. Regis Chicago, the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts in Little Rock, and the University of Chicago John W. Boyer Center in Paris, each reflecting the firm's commitment to contextual design, sustainability, and civic engagement.

Studio Gang will be honored during a celebration hosted by AIA Chicago on August 6 at the Chicago Architecture Center, coinciding with the firm's exhibition, Flyway City: Architecture for a Flourishing Ecosystem. The exhibition explores how architecture and urban design can create safer environments for birds and other wildlife.

The firm will also receive the 2026 Firm Award during Designight 2026, AIA Chicago's annual architectural celebration, on Thursday, October 1, at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance in Millennium Park.