Impact

In The News

02 29 24
ADU's might not be making Chicago more affordable, but they might make it more sustainable.
Anjulie Rao
02 28 24
'I get looks of disbelief': women shaking up architecture worldwide.
Oliver Wainwright
02 08 24
Emerging Voices 2024
The Architectural League
02 01 24
Katherine Darnstadt lectures at Virginia Tech for Student Choice Lecture Series
12 23 23
'100 Women: Architects in Practice' Celebrates exceptional Global Architecture
Mark El Mubark
08 21 23
West Garfield Park Plan, adding fresh food at former Aldi site.
Chicago Sun Times David Roeder
08 18 23
$20M State Food Desert Program
Chicago Tribune Dan Petrella
05 11 23
"Chicago's INVEST South/West Initiative yields early initial projects, but not with communication breakdowns along the way"
Anjulie Rao, The Architect's Newspaper
04 17 23
"Listen Louder: Rethinking the Role of Today's Citizen Architect"
Anjulie Rao, Architect Magazine
03 10 23
"New Designs for the 'Missing Middle'"
John Hill, world-architects.com
03 06 23
"Chicago Is Running a Design Contest to Create Infill Housing—Here’s a First Look at Submissions"
Duncan Nielsen, Dwell
02 20 23
"Hyde Park Kilwins Will Create 'Chocolate Garden' For Community Events After $250,000 Boost From City"
Maxwell Evans, Block Club Chicago
01 26 23
"Keynote speakers for Colorado Preservation Inc.'s 2023 Saving Places Conference announced"
ddascalos, YourHub
11 20 22
"Plan Commission adopts Western Ave Corridor Study"
Lukas Kugler, Urbanize Chicago
11 16 22
"5200 W Chicago breaks ground"
Lukas Kugler, Urbanize Chicago
10 20 22
"Latent Design is making change in Chicago"
Eva Hagberg, Wallpaper
10 19 22
"One Nation, Under Renovation"
Zach Mortise, Bloomberg City Lab
06 14 22
“Landmarks approves rehab at 5200 W. Chicago”
Bee Ricketts, Chicago Yimby
06 03 22
"Sleeping Beauties: Chicago's Adaptive Reuse"
Patrick Sisson, AIA Architect
05 31 22
"20 Best Architecture Firms in Chicago"
Editors, Architizer Journal
03 24 22
"New elevated nature trail eyed for West Side"
David Roeder, Chicago Sun Times
03 24 22
"Des Moines plans to demolish Grubb YMCA for new rec center, but needs to raise $9 million"
Kim Norvell, Des Moines Register
03 07 22
"Design 50 2022: Exhibitors and Advocates"
Vasia Rigou, NewCity Design
02 21 22
"Plans for New Rec Center on Des Moines North Side"
Melody Mercado, Des Moines Register
01 24 22
"'Why not dream for more?': 4 plans presented with different amenities for the Grubb YMCA building"
Melody Mercado, Des Moines Register
07 22 21
"Take a Swing Around 'Par Excellence Redux,' a Mini Golf Course of Playable Artworks at Elmhurst Art Museum"
Colossal
03 08 21
"A West Side Landmark Will Be Redeveloped Into A Museum, Cafe and Business Incubator"
Pascal Sabino, Block Club Chicago
12 30 20
Design Trust Chicago seeks to address systems beyond structures
Zach Mortice, The Architect's Newspaper
07 02 20
"Rebuilding Trust"
Patrick Sisson, AIA Architect
03 17 21
"West Siders Looking Forward To Blues Museum, Laramie Bank Overhaul - But Local Groups Want More Input Moving Forward"
Pascal Sabino, Block Club Chicago
02 04 20
"The Architecture of Labor: Working Conditions and the New Normal"
Eric Baldwin, ArchDaily
11 07 18
"Chicago DOT Develops Parklet Prototype to Encourage Hanging Out"
Rachel Kaufman, Next City
01 16 17
"How to Become a Social Impact Designer Without Going (Permanently) Broke"
Gilad Meron and Mia Scharphie, Next City
07 23 15
"Latent Complexity: Denise Scott Brown and Katherine Darnstadt (Latent Design) on Archinect Sessions #39"
Amelia Taylor-Hochberg, Archinect
05 24 13
"Spontaneous Interventions: Design Actions for the Common Good"
Cultural Affairs and Special Events, City of Chicago
01 01 13
"Citizen-Architect"
Marcia Faye, Illinois Tech Magazine

Honors + Awards

2024
IIT MCHAP Cycle 5 | Mies Crown Hall Americas Prize | Exhibition
BGCC | Heart of the City | Alfresco South Chicago
2024
Emerging Voices 2024
The Architectural League
2023
2023 Community Design Impact Award
Richard H. Driehaus Foundation
2023
2023 Pride Award New Construction Chicago/Suburbs under $20M
CISCO Construction Industry Service Corporation
2023
Heart of the City: Art and Equity in Process and Place ASLA Award of Excellence in Urban Design
American Society of Landscape Architects
2019
Best Ephemera for "Boxshops"
Friends of Downtown
2018
AIGA Fellow for Katherine Darnstadt
AIGA Chicago
2017
Neighborhood Award Winner for "Boombox"
Chicago Innovation
2016
Small Projects Awards Citation of Merit
AIA Chicago
2016
A+ Awards Pop-Ups & Temporary Projects Jury Pick for "Boombox"
Architizer
2015
Pay It 4ward Inaugural Honoree for Katherine Darnstadt
2014
40 Under 40 for Katherine Darntadt
Crain's Chicago
2014
Dupont Emerging Leader Fellow for Katherine Darnstadt
Design Futures Council
2014
100 Social Impact Visionaries
GOOD Magazine
2013
Young Architects Honor Award
AIA National
2013
A+ Awards Jury Pick for "Architecture + Farming" for "Fresh Moves Mobile Produce Market"
Architizer
2012
Food Design Runner Up for "Fresh Moves Mobile Produce Market"
Core77
2012
Buckminster Fuller Award for Social Good for Katherine Darnstadt
AIA Illinois
2012
Young Alumnus Award for Katherine Darnstadt
Illinois Institute of Technology
2012
ENR Midwest 2012 Top 20 Under 40
John Gregerson
2012
SEED Award Honorable Mention for "Fresh Moves Mobile Produce Market"
Design Corps
2011
i4design Emerging Leader Award for "The Altruist"
2010
Emerging Leader Award for Katherine Darnstadt
U.S. Green Building Council
2010
Bridge Fellow for Katherine Darnstadt
AIA Chicago

Publications

2024
100 Women: Architects in Practice
Riba Books
2021
The City Creative: The Rise of Urban Placemaking in Contemporary America
Michael H. Carriere and David Schalliol, University of Chicago Press
2012
Design Like You Give a Damn [2]
Architecture for Humanity, Abrams Books
2012
Giving Guide
Crains Chicago Business
2012
Issue Nº3 Platescrapers
SOILED
2011
Issue Nº2 Skinscrapers
SOILED
2010
Area Chicago #10: Institutions & Infrastructures
Half Letter Press
2010
Diversity and Inclusion Guidelines
U.S. Green Building Council

Speaking Engagements

2020
Designing our Future
Chicago Women in Architecture
2020
Raising Products: African American and Latinx Designers
Design Museum of Chicago
2020
Notions of Practice: Next Chicago
Illinois Institute of Technology
2019
Equity and Design
ASLA Illinois
2019
Ignite social change with intersectional designer-advocates
SCAD
2019
Hyde Lecture: Architecture Of
University of Nebraska College of Architecture
2018
Social Impact Session
SXSW
2019
Let's Talk Business
Yale School of Architecture
2018
Visiting Artist Series: Katherine Darnstadt
College of DuPage
2017
Architecture Symposium: Design + Public Impact
NOMAS at UIUC
2017
Public X Design
2016
Place by Design - Urban Strategy Winner - BoomBox
SXSW Eco
2013
Forum Keynote "Resolution"
AIAS
2013
Pardon Me, I Am Trying To Get Your Attention
AIA Greenville
2013
Social Design
AIGA Chicago
2013
Public Interest Architecture in Practice
Chicago Women in Architecture
2012
Leadership Institute
AIA Illinois
2011
Designing Public Spaces
Chicago Ideas Week
2011
Here and There
Structures for Inclusion 10+1
2010
Dirty Talk: Soil as a Pedagogical Model
Pecha Kucha Chicago

Exhibitions

2023
Crossing Lines
CAB Chicago Architecture Biennale
2023
Missing Middle Infill Housing (Row Homes)
Chicago Architecture Center
2021
Par Excellence Redux: The Front 9
Elmhurst Art Museum
2012
Spontaneous Interventions
Venice Biennale American Pavilion
2012
Structures of Inclusion 12 Honorable Mention
SEED
2011
Design In Action
Philadelphia Center for Architecture
2011
Structures for Inclusion 10+1
SEED

In The News

Honors + Awards

Best Ephemera for "Boxshops"self.__wrap_b(":R1h6rhaksq6:",1)

Dupont Emerging Leader Fellow for Katherine Darnstadtself.__wrap_b(":R1hdrhaksq6:",1)

100 Social Impact Visionariesself.__wrap_b(":R1herhaksq6:",1)

Young Alumnus Award for Katherine Darnstadtself.__wrap_b(":R1hjrhaksq6:",1)

i4design Emerging Leader Award for "The Altruist"self.__wrap_b(":R1hmrhaksq6:",1)

Emerging Leader Award for Katherine Darnstadtself.__wrap_b(":R1hnrhaksq6:",1)

Bridge Fellow for Katherine Darnstadtself.__wrap_b(":R1horhaksq6:",1)

Publications

Giving Guideself.__wrap_b(":Rokrhbksq6:",1)

Diversity and Inclusion Guidelinesself.__wrap_b(":Roorhbksq6:",1)

Speaking Engagements

Designing our Futureself.__wrap_b(":R1h1rhcksq6:",1)

Raising Products: African American and Latinx Designersself.__wrap_b(":R1h2rhcksq6:",1)

Notions of Practice: Next Chicagoself.__wrap_b(":R1h3rhcksq6:",1)

Social Impact Sessionself.__wrap_b(":R1h7rhcksq6:",1)

Public X Designself.__wrap_b(":R1hbrhcksq6:",1)

Forum Keynote "Resolution"self.__wrap_b(":R1hdrhcksq6:",1)

Pardon Me, I Am Trying To Get Your Attentionself.__wrap_b(":R1herhcksq6:",1)

Public Interest Architecture in Practiceself.__wrap_b(":R1hgrhcksq6:",1)

Leadership Instituteself.__wrap_b(":R1hhrhcksq6:",1)

Designing Public Spacesself.__wrap_b(":R1hirhcksq6:",1)

Here and Thereself.__wrap_b(":R1hjrhcksq6:",1)

Dirty Talk: Soil as a Pedagogical Modelself.__wrap_b(":R1hkrhcksq6:",1)

Exhibitions

Structures of Inclusion 12 Honorable Mentionself.__wrap_b(":Rcdrhdksq6:",1)

Design In Actionself.__wrap_b(":Rcerhdksq6:",1)

Structures for Inclusion 10+1self.__wrap_b(":Rcfrhdksq6:",1)

Best Ephemera for "Boxshops"

Dupont Emerging Leader Fellow for Katherine Darnstadt

100 Social Impact Visionaries

Young Alumnus Award for Katherine Darnstadt

i4design Emerging Leader Award for "The Altruist"

Emerging Leader Award for Katherine Darnstadt

Bridge Fellow for Katherine Darnstadt

Giving Guide

Diversity and Inclusion Guidelines

Designing our Future

Raising Products: African American and Latinx Designers

Notions of Practice: Next Chicago

Social Impact Session

Public X Design

Forum Keynote "Resolution"

Pardon Me, I Am Trying To Get Your Attention

Public Interest Architecture in Practice

Leadership Institute

Designing Public Spaces

Here and There

Dirty Talk: Soil as a Pedagogical Model

Structures of Inclusion 12 Honorable Mention

Design In Action

Structures for Inclusion 10+1