Culture Defined

Our culture is a reflection of our relationship driven mission and inclusive design process. Inside and out, OKW Architects is a collection of professionals striving to serve clients, our community and each other. We are naturally collaborative with a strong desire to be inclusive of diverse ideas, original thinking and outside influence.

Join our team! See all available jobs here.

Third Thursdays

On the third Thursday of every month, OKW hosts a dynamic workshop where an expert critic interacts with designers in pushing a current project forward via discovery, discourse and sketching. Different than a daily team pin-up, Third Thursdays is office wide opportunity and offers our staff an environment to provide input on one of our exciting in-progress projects. Collectively, designers and expert guests share original ideas and creative juice while networking and building relationships.

This photo is from our Third Thursday featuring our friends and guest critics at L3 Capital. The topic of discussion was Miami's Design District;  a creative neighborhood and shopping destination dedicated to fashion, design, art, architecture and dining. OKW has been tasked to design and renovate a two-story building amidst the context of neighbors like Miu Miu and Versace.

CANstruction

CANstruction is an international competition which challenges teams of architects, contractors and engineers to design and build structures with a 10'x10'x10' space. The event benefits the Greater Chicago Food Depository collecting over 100,000 lbs of non-perishable items for soup kitchens, food pantries, shelters and programs throughout Cook County.

CANstruction Chicago is the Food Depository’s largest one-day food drive. In 2015, Canstruction Chicago collected over 113,000 lbs of non-perishable items. Together, we CAN make a difference in our community.

To learn more, visit their their website.

To find out more about our 2017 team, check out our blog post.

The Harold E. Eisenberg Foundation

HEEF is one of the nation's largest private foundations dedicated to gastrointestinal cancer research. OKW is a long standing supporter of the Eisenberg Foundation and  sponsors several of their events held throughout the year.

To learn more, visit their website.

Community Involvement

We elevate the human spirit both inside and outside our studio environment. We are naturally curious and eager to learn. Framed by a bigger way of thinking, we share both life experience and professional perspective.