We number thirteen employees, all architects. Each acts in the capacity of project architect for individual jobs, overseeing the job from schematic design through final construction. During a project's development, all contribute in various capacities along with the client, consultants, and the construction team. This is at the heart of our "studio" philosophy.

Daniel Wheeler
Lawrence Kearns
Tom Bader
Mark Weber
Joy Meek
Jon Heinert
Dominick Hart
Sharlene Young
Andre Laurent Baros
Jeremy Olsen
Chris-Annmarie Spencer
Azadeh Rashidi
Julia Rivkin Wheeler

Daniel Harding Wheeler,  FAIA

Dan founded Daniel Wheeler Architects in 1987 after winning the design competition for Camp Madron. In 1990, he established, with Lawrence Kearns, the practice of Wheeler Kearns Architects. In 1992, the firm was chosen as the "Midwest's emerging architectural practice" by ARCHITECTURE magazine. In 1996 the firm was selected by a national jury of its peers as the recipient of the prestigious AIA Firm Award from the Chicago Chapter of the AIA. In 1998 Dan was nominated and elected into The College of Fellows of The American Institute of Architects, in recognition of notable contributions to the advancement of the architecture profession. In 2001 he was elected to a tenured position as Associate Professor of Architecture at the University of Illinois at Chicago, where he chairs the Building Science/Design Integration Curriculum.

Dan received his Bachelor of Architecture in 1981 from the Rhode Island School of Design, where he studied abroad in Rome for two years.  While attending the RISD European Honors Program, he was awarded a National Endowment for the Arts Traveling Fellowship. He worked at the offices of Machado-Silvetti Architects in Boston throughout his school years and contributed to many projects, including the award winning "Steps of Providence" project in 1980.

In 1981, Dan arrived in Chicago and began to work for Skidmore, Owings & Merrill as a project architect. Dan was promoted to Associate and Studio Head in 1985. That year Dan also received the AIA Young Architect Award for design excellence from the Chicago Chapter. Wanting to complement his SOM experience, Dan began work in 1982 on independent commissions, eventually leading to his involvement with the Camp Madron Competition and the subsequent establishment of a formal office. As a WKA Project Architect, he has been responsible for such projects as Camp Madron, the Chicago Children's Museum, the North Avenue Beach House, Marwen, Green Homes for Chicago, and numerous residences.

Dan has taught graduate level design studios at the University of Illinois in Chicago since 1993, including UIC's Rome Program. He has been an associate professor since 2000. He taught at the graduate level at the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee in 1989. He has lectured at the Graham Foundation, The Arts Club of Chicago, The Chicago Architecture Foundation, Illinois Institute of Technology, the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee, the Conference of American Youth Museums in Minneapolis, The Toronto Society of Architects and the Young Architects Forum in Kansas City. He has served as an invited juror to AIA Awards Programs in Dallas (96), Chicago (96), Wisconsin (97), Iowa (98), Kansas (98,01), Mid-Atlantic (2002); Schiff Award (1994), SOM Traveling Fellowship (1997), AIA National Concrete Masonry Awards (1998), the Graham Foundations Townhouse Revisited Competition (1999), and Custom Home Awards Program (1999).

Dan's work both independent and with WKA, has been widely published. Notably, in 1998 Wheeler Kearns: Ten Houses was published by Rockport Publishers, with an introduction by Thomas Beeby. Further examples may be found in Progressive Architecture, The Japan Architect, The Chicago Architectural Journal 1982-, The Harvard Architectural Review, Architectural Record, ARCHITECTURE, Fine Homebuilding, DOMUS, Architectural Digest, House and Garden, Residential Architect, among others. Recent Books include The New American House, The New American House II, The New American Apartment, The New American Cottage, all published by The Whitney, and Casas Internacional 35. The work of the firm is included in the permanent collection of the Chicago Historical Society and the Art Institute of Chicago, and has been exhibited widely.

Dan was inducted into The College of Fellows of the American Institute of Architects in 1998, and in 1999 was elected as a Trustee of the Graham Foundation For Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts, where he currently serves as President of the Board. He is past Chairman of the Architecture Alliance at the Chicago Historical Society, where he also served as a Trustee. He has assisted in founding and directing the Marwen Foundation's Architecture Program, designed to expose under-served inner city high school students to design. He has served on the Board of Directors of the Architecture & Design Society of the Art Institute of Chicago and on the advisory board of The Chicago Architecture Club. Dan is a registered architect in Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, South Carolina, and Michigan.

Lawrence P. Kearns AIA

 Mr. Kearns has been a partner of Wheeler Kearns Architects since 1990, after joining the firm in 1988. As a member of the firm, Larry has contributed as project architect for commissions such as the Old Town School of Folk Music’s new facility in Chicago and the Prototypical Fabric Pool Enclosure for the Chicago Park District, which was exhibited at the Art Institute of Chicago. Current responsibilities include a series of senior-focused Cafes in Chicago and a new residence in Chicago.

Mr. Kearns spent his first 23 years in south Florida and graduated first in his class from the University of Miami School of Architecture in 1985 where he obtained a Bachelor of Architecture, Magna Cum Laude. He attended the Universitario di Venezia for the spring term in 1984 and won three student design competitions during his studies. Larry worked in the offices of Jan Hochstim, AIA in South Miami from 1981 to 1985. During that time, he headed an award winning renovation project for the University of Miami School of Architecture.

In 1985, Mr. Kearns joined Skidmore, Owings & Merrill in Chicago. As the senior designer for the infrastructure of Canary Wharf, he oversaw the design of an international financial center on a 71-acre site in London. Mr. Kearns co-authored the design guidelines for parcel development for 12 million square feet of new office and trading space.

Larry has served as design critic at the University of Miami, University of Illinois, Notre Dame, and the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee. He has served as a juror for the SOM Travelling Fellowship, the AIA Chicago Award, and the Schiff Award at UIC. He has lectured at the Chicago Architectural Club, the University of Miami, the University of Illinois at Chicago, the Chicago Art Deco Society, and at multiple AIA Professional Development Conferences. For the University of Illinois at Chicago's Continuing Education program, Mr. Kearns has delivered a series of lectures and prepared mock tests for individuals preparing for the Architectural Registration Exam. He has also served on Triton College's architectural program advisory committee. By invitation from the Chicago Cultural Facilities Fund, Mr. Kearns has lectured numerous times to not-for-profit groups in the City of Chicago who are contemplating new construction projects. His work has been published in The Chicago Architectural Journal, Trends, The Chicago Tribune, and is included in the permanent collection of the White House.

Affiliations include the American Institute of Architects , the US Green Building Council and the Construction Specifications Institute (CSI). Mr. Kearns has served as chair of the education committee and on the Board of the Chicago Chapter of CSI. As a recognized expert witness, he has testified in the Circuit Court of Cook County regarding construction topics. Larry is a registered architect in the State of Illinois, a certified LEED professional, a registered energy professional with the City of Chicago, a registered Self-Certification professional with the City of Chicago, a member of the International Code Council, and a licensed soccer coach.

Mr. Kearns serves at WKA’s IT director. As a capable programmer, he has written and maintains database and CAD programs for WKA’s proprietary use. Mr. Kearns created and maintains the firm’s web site and has taught introductory courses on web site development at the University of Illinois at Chicago and other local schools.

Thomas Bader, AIA

Tom joined Wheeler Kearns Architects in 1991 and became an owner in 1995. For the firm, Tom has headed many of the larger residential projects as well as the Hamill Family Play Zoo at the Brookfield Zoo. Current responsibilities include Project Architect for buildings at Trinity Christian College and the Montessori School of Lake Forest.

Tom graduated as a Bachelor of Architecture, Cum Laude, from the University of Cincinnati in 1983, where he received the AIA Cincinnati Chapter Design Excellence Award and a Master of Architecture degree from Yale University in 1990.

Between college and graduate studies, Tom worked for five years with R.M. Kliment & Frances Halsband Architects in New York City. While there, he was responsible as Project Architect for a three floor 54,000 sf interior architecture design of a New York Advertising Agency with an emphasis on creative ingenuity, private residences in Rye NY and Pound Ridge NY, as well as assisting with design for a Town Hall in Salisbury, Connecticut and several university laboratory/teaching facilities. Other projects included assisting with private residences in New York City and Martha’s Vineyard.

During graduate school, Tom worked at the New York office of Agrest and Gandelsonas, assisting with drawings for two private residences. After he graduated, he worked in New Haven, Connecticut with Robert Orr Associates where he was responsible as Project Architect for private residences in Connecticut, Kansas City, and Aspen, Colorado.

Tom has served as visiting juror at the University of Illinois at Chicago, Notre Dame and the Marwen Foundation. He is a registered architect in New York and Illinois and a member of the American Institute of Architects. Tom’s wife, Sarah, also an architect, is employed at Gensler. They have one child, Jane Eloise.

Mark Weber, AIA

Mark Weber has completed numerous projects with Wheeler Kearns Architects since 1989 ranging from small custom made furniture pieces to numerous residences. One of Mark’s current responsibilities is heading up the work on a new residence in Ogden Dunes, Indiana.

Mark graduated from Southern Illinois University with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1982 and obtained a Master of Architecture degree from University of Illinois at Chicago in 1989. While at UIC, Mark received departmental awards for Excellence in Design in 1987 and 1988. Mark’s past work experience was diverse and included: carpentry, farming, furniture design and building, co-owner of a construction/development company, and work on low income housing.

Mark has completed numerous exhibit installations including one for an international show sponsored by Formica Corporation and one for a show at the Renaissance Society at the University of Chicago exhibit called the “Turn of the Century Home”. Mark designed and built in his Beverly based workshop an award winning entry in “The Epilepsy Foundation’s “Golf Around Chicago” in 1997. Mark also has completed a number of other pieces in his shop for local charity auctions including ones for Latin School, Francis Parker School, and the Chicago Children’s Museum.

As a teacher at the University of Illinois in Chicago in the Department of Architecture, Mark has taught graduate level studio design courses, graduate level furniture design courses. He has served on numerous design juries at UIC. As a member of the firm, Mark has served as project architect for the award winning Beverly Art Center project in Chicago, Illinois and the well publicized Live/Work Project in the Wicker Park neighborhood of Chicago.

Mark resides in Beverly and is a former vice president of the Beverly Area Local Development Corporation. He volunteers his time annually for the City of Chicago and Evergreen Park High School’s Career Days. For muliple years since the floods of 1994, Mark has donated a week of time to join “Habitat for Humanity” and head a work crew in the Mississippi Delta to help provide low-income housing. Mark is a registered architect in the State of Illinois and is the head hockey coach at St Ignatius High School. His wife, Meredith, is a teacher in the Chicago Public Schools. They have three children - Jill, Josh, and Robby.

Joy R. Meek, AIA

Joy Meek joined Wheeler Kearns Architects in 1998 and became a principal in 2006. Joy has served as Project Architect on numerous residential projects such as the Wilmette Residence, the Mohawk Street Residence, and a high rise apartment in the former Montgomery Ward tower. She is one of the Project Architects for 1875 North Orchard in Chicago. Joy graduated from University of Illinois with a Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies in 1995 and continued her education at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design. She graduated with a Master of Architecture in 1998.

While at the GSD, Joy collaborated with the University of Toronto and architect Brigitte Shim to install an exhibit of projects for Toronto’s waterfront at Toronto’s Queens Quay Terminal. Before graduating and joining Wheeler Kearns Architects, she interned at a number of architecture firms and worked on various projects including interior office spaces, private residences, and elementary schools.

Joy is a registered architect in the State of Illinois and is a registered LEED accredited professional.

Jon Heinert, AIA

Jon Heinert joined Wheeler Kearns in 1999 and became a principal in 2006. Jon served as Project Architect for an award winning facility for Southwest Women Working Together, a non-profit organization serving the West Englewood community on the Southwest side of Chicago. He has recently completed two prominent high-rise apartments in Chicago and is currently Project Architect for a 16,000 square foot residence in Hinsdale, Illinois.

Jon graduated second in his class from the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee with a Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies in 1994. In 1998, he received a Master of Architecture from the University of Virginia. Upon graduation, Jon received the Design Excellence Award and AIA Certificate of Merit, culminating an academic career also marked by winning multiple student design competitions.

Between undergraduate and graduate studies, Jon interned at Hammel Green and Abrahamson in Milwaukee, Wisconsin for two years, where his project experience included work on a prominent office building surrounding the capitol square in Madison, Wisconsin, an IMAX theater for the Milwaukee Public Museum and a Tornado Shelter/ Community Learning Center for the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin. During Graduate Studies, Jon worked for the University Architect for the University of Virginia in the lower concourse of Thomas Jefferson’s Rotunda. Jon’s primary role was initiating programming and masterplan studies for the expansion of the Arts Campus on Carr’s Hill. After Graduation, Jon remained briefly in Charlottesville and worked for William Sherman and Associates.

Jon and his wife, Annastacia, reside in the Pilsen neighborhood on the near south side of Chicago. Design and construction of his own house began in 2002 and is an on-going hands-on learning experiment involving design details and construction assemblies and techniques. Jon volunteers his time with the 25th Ward’s Aldermanic office to provide design input for homeowners in the Pilsen area who otherwise could not afford design services.

Jon is a registered Architect in Illinois.

Dominick Hart, AIA

A native of Kentucky, Dominick received a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy Cum Laude from Berea College in Berea, Kentucky. After working as a carpenter for a year, Dominick enrolled in the Masters of Architecture program at Syracuse University, where he graduated in 1994. During his studies there, Dominick was awarded three academic merit scholarships, was a teaching assistant for several courses including first year design, and received a Dean’s Citation for his Masters Thesis.

After graduation, Dominick relocated to Dallas where he worked for HOK and then for Ibanez Architecture. In 1997, he joined Pierce Goll Architecture where he helped author a competition winning entry for the Dallas Nature Center. Before joining WKA in 2002, Dominick worked for GideonToal in Fort Worth for four years where he collaborated on projects that received an Honor Award, three Merit awards and a Citation from the local chapter of the AIA.

With WKA, he has served as Project Architect for two retreats on Lake Michigan in Benton Township and Lakeside, Michigan. He has also served as Project Architect for the newest of the cafes completed for Mather Lifeways in Des Plaines, Illinois.

Dominick has co-taught courses for the Modern Art Museum in Forth Worth and collaborated on project designs for Habitat for Humanity.
Dominick is a registered architect in Illinois.

Sharlene Young, AIA

Sharlene graduated from Cornell University with a Bachelors of Architecture in 1987, after spending a semester in Rome where she prepared her Thesis. While at Cornell, she co-founded “Cornell Architecture - Studio Projects”, a compilation of student projects.

Prior to joining WKA, project experience included the adaptive reuse of Baldwin-Wallace College Chapel, the interior architecture of The Wyatt Company, a base building renovation of 303 E Wacker Drive, the interior architecture of Crate & Barrel’s new headquarters, a new residence in the Village of Winnetka, a new prototype attorney floor for DLA Piper Rudnick, a product analysis for Herman Miller, and a renovation for the Chicago School of Professional Psychology. Independent projects include deconversion of the Hsu Residence, competitions, and jewelry design and fabrication.

With WKA, Sharlene has served as Project Architect for the restoration and adaptive reuse of the Krause Music Store in Chicago, Louis Sullivan’s last commission. The project, completed in 2007, restored the upstairs apartment and converted the former music store space into offices for a graphic design firm. Ms Young has also served as Project Architect on various residential projects and has brought her extensive interiors experience to a number of not-for-profit projects.

Recognized for innovation in design by the American Institute of Architects, Chicago Chapter, Sharlene received the Young Architect Award in 2001. Other awards include IBD’s Best of Competition, an Award of Merit for the Baldwin-Wallace College Chapel in 1992, an AIA Chicago Citation of Merit for The Wyatt Company in 1996, an AIA Chicago Citation of Merit for the Hsu Residence in 1998, and BOMA’s TOBY award for 303 East Wacker Drive in 2000. Honors include serving as a juror for AIA Chicago’s Young Architect Award, AIA Cleveland’s Design Excellence Award, the AIA Chicago Award,and the IIDA’s NEOCON Booth and Showroom Award. Sharlene served as keynote speaker at the annual AIAS Forum in 2002. Publications include the Hsu Residence in Chicago Magazine and Residential Architect.

Sharlene is a registered architect in the State of Ohio, and an active member of AIA Chicago, where she chaired the Interiors Professional Interest Area in 2001. Active in the community, Shalene is an Associate Board member of Gilda’s Club, a board member of Sheffield Neighborhood Association, and serves on the Sheffield Planning Review Board.

Azadeh Rashidi, AIA

Azadeh joined Wheeler Kearns in 2007. Prior to joining Wheeler Kearns, Azadeh was an Associate at W.G. Clark and Associates in Charlottesville, VA, where she worked for six years. During that period she worked on several residential and institutional projects, including the East Addition to the University of Virginia's School of Architecture and the winning entry for the Clemson's Architecture Center in Charleston, SC, Azadeh was also a Design Critic at the University of Virginia where she taught the third year undergraduate Design Studio for five semesters

Azadeh earned her Masters in Architecture in 2000 from the University of Virgina, where she also recived her Bachelor of Science in Architecture in 1995. As an undergraduate, Azadeh spent a semster in Copenhagen, Denmark at the Danish International Study Program. As a graduate student, Azadeh recived the AIA Certificate undergraduate design studios and core curriculum classes.

Before Azadeh's return to graduate school, she spent three years working at Gensler Associates in Washington D.C. where she served as a project architect on projects ranging from officies for the EPA, the National Geographic Retail Store, and the HUD prototype store that was awared a Silver Medal by the IIDA.

Azadeh is a registered architect in the State of Virginia

André Laurent Baros

Andre received a Bachelor of Architecture from the Illinois Institute of Technology in 1997. While there, he participated in the IIT Study Abroad program, was named Mies van der Rohe Scholar, won a competition to design the workplace of the future, and was nominated for the Schiff Fellowship. He joined Wheeler Kearns Architects in 2000.

A Chicago native, Andre developed his professional portfolio at Harry Weese Associates from 1997 to 2000, during which time he was responsible for training and maintaining staff in advanced computer applications. He worked on several school, ecclesiastic, and restoration projects as well as being extensively involved in large scale mixed-use commercial and hospitality projects such as the Disneyquest building and the Hotel Inter-Continental. He received an honorable mention in the Graham Foundation’s Townhouse Revisited competition of 1999.

Andre is currently serving as Project Architect for a new residence in Ogden Dunes, Indiana. He also serves as WKA’s most facile and literate computer-aided modeller, renderer, and in-house tutor.

Jeremy Olsen

Jeremy earned his Bachelor of Arts in Architectural Studies in 2000 from the University of Illinois at Chicago. He continued his studies there, earning a Master of Architecture degree in 2003. While a student, Jeremy served as a Teaching Assistant for graduate level studios. He was recognized by the faculty with the Alumni Association’s Student Leadership Award as well as the Association of Licensed Architects Student Achievement Award. He has maintained an ongoing relationship with the school as a guest critic and assisted in the teaching of a final year graduate course in architectural detailing in 2004.

Jeremy joined Wheeler Kearns Architects in 2003 after serving as an intern in 2002. Prior to working at Wheeler Kearns Architects, Jeremy worked at Schroeder Murchie Laya Architects in Chicago between degrees where he acted as an assistant project architect on the conversion of an industrial loft building into 84 units of housing. He also assisted with a Chicago Public Schools middle school project. From 1997 to 2001, Jeremy worked at Olsen + Vranas Architects where he worked on several restaurant projects and administered several residential additions.
Jeremy has served as Project Architect for a new residence in Michigan and is currently serving as Project Architect for a new facility for Chistopher House in Logan Square. Jeremy also served on the project team for 1875 N. Orchard in Lincoln Park for which he was the primary technical coordinator.

Prior to pursuing architecture, Jeremy spent six years in the US Navy’s Nuclear Engineering program and served aboard the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise. He saw the world from the fantail of the world’s largest combat vessel and managed the radiological controls and dosimetry for a crew of over 5,000 as the ship’s Health Physics supervisor. He also spent six months in Haiti in 1994-95. He frequently regales his coworkers with sea stories.

Chris-Annmarie Spencer

Chris, Jamaican by birth, graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Architectural Studies from the Caribbean School of Architecture at the University of Technology in 1998. Shortly after, her family relocated to Massachusetts and in 2000 she moved to Chicago to attend the University of Illinois at Chicago. During her studies there, Chris spent a semester in Rome studying historical design and its application to contemporary design.

During graduate school, she interned at Xavier Vendrell Studio and Worn Jerabek Architects working on single family residences and landscape projects. Before graduating in 2004 with a Master of Architecture, she was awarded eight design and academic merit scholarships, a teaching assistantship position, and was nominated for the SOM and Schiff Foundation fellowships.

In 2004, Chris was awarded the Martin Roche Fellowship for Independent Study which will allow her to continue her studies of urban and housing strategies for South African cities.

Chris has servedd as Project Architect for a renovation of residence in Glencoe, Illinois and is currently serving as Project Architect for a residence in Buchanan Township, Michigan.

Julia Rivkin Wheeler, RA

Julie received a Bachelor of Arts from Yale College in 1976 and a Master of Architecture degree from University of Illinois at Chicago in 1979.  After graduation Julie worked for eleven years at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, Chicago.  As an Associate in the firm, Ms. Wheeler managed the in-house proprietary computer software applications for architects, computer training and software testing.  Julie also worked at the Chicago Institute for Architecture and Urbanism from 1988 to 92 as a computer graphics consultant to the fellows at the Institute.  She joined Wheeler  Kearns in 1993, where she  wears the hats of office manager, personnel and public relations coordinator, and project assistant.  A Chicago native, Julie is married to one of the bosses.