The American Midwest is redefining the architectural landscape, with emerging studios bringing bold, visionary ideas to the field. These young, forward-thinking firms are pushing boundaries and reimagining design, shaping a more innovative and sustainable future—not just in the U.S., but globally. Creativity, experimentation, and fresh perspectives are at the core of this architectural movement.
As part of our Next Generation series, we highlight ten groundbreaking architectural practices that are leading this transformation. Each profile showcases how these studios are pioneering change and setting new standards in modern architecture.
10 Emerging Architects from the American Midwest
The Cross-Pollinators
Thomas Carruthers & Jennifer Newsom – Dream the Combine (Minneapolis, MN)
Stay tuned as we delve into the work of these visionary architects, exploring how they are reshaping the built environment with creativity, sustainability, and bold innovation.
(Image credit: Hugo Yu)
What we create goes beyond the surface,” explains Jennifer Newsom of Dream the Combine. “We’re after something more fundamental,” adds her husband and studio co-founder, Thomas Carruthers. “Who defines what we perceive? Who decides who feels a sense of belonging? We are conditioned to interpret information in certain ways, and social constructs further shape our reality. In many respects, our work bridges the gap between physical structures and social systems.” These probing questions form the core of their practice. Founded in 2013 in Minneapolis, the studio now operates between Minneapolis and Ithaca, NY—where Newsom and Carruthers have recently joined Cornell University’s architecture faculty.
Their studio defies convention. Although they are both licensed architects and engage in traditional building projects, most of their work resembles art—manifesting as installations and large-scale structures that address a wide range of themes. For example, at the 2021 Exhibit Columbus, Indiana’s annual architectural festival, they presented “Columbus Columbia Colombo Colón,” a piece that critiqued the omnipresence of Christopher Columbus’ name and its associated narrative. “His name and legacy are everywhere; it’s impossible not to notice them,” remarks Carruthers.
THE SPATIAL JUSTICE ADVOCATES: Paola Aguirre & Dennis Milam Borderless Studio, Chicago, IL

(Image credit: Hugo Yu)
Mexican-born architect and urban designer Paola Aguirre founded Borderless in Chicago in 2016, and she was joined by Illinois native Dennis Milam in 2019. Together, they lead a team of five dedicated to “connecting communities to design processes.” Their studio skillfully explores the intersections of art, architecture, urban design, infrastructure, landscape, planning, and civic participation—an expertise they apply across a diverse range of projects. “We strive to balance commissioned work with self-initiated projects that allow us to respond to the communities we serve,” explains Aguirre. “We often prioritize collaborations with groups and businesses that work with or are located in communities of color.”
For a relatively young practice, Borderless has built an expansive portfolio. Their projects include a women-owned, Black-owned wellness store in Bronzeville, Chicago; a pavilion inspired by woven canopies and hyperbolic surfaces for the Chicago Architecture Biennial 2021; an installation for Exhibit Columbus 2019; several master plans; and a platform that brings attention to the closure of nearly 50 schools on Chicago’s West and South Side, highlighting issues of social infrastructure and collaborative agency.
THE EQUITY FIGHTER: Katherine Darnstadt Latent Design, Chicago, IL

(Image credit: Hugo Yu)
We’re probably always going to suffer from small-firm syndrome,” remarks Katherine Darnstadt, founder of Latent Design—a Chicago-based firm dedicated to spatial and racial equity, restorative design, and reclaiming access to space for diverse communities. Speaking about the biggest challenge her six-person firm has faced since its inception in 2010, she adds, “But it’s something we’ve learned to embrace – it’s a quality, not a deficit.”
Operating as a small firm has given Darnstadt and her team the agility to tackle a wide variety of projects while approaching planning and financing in creative ways. For her, architecture and urban planning should have a profound impact, a principle reflected in work for clients like the Mayo Clinic and the Boys and Girls Club, as well as in projects such as community master plans, affordable housing developments, and commercial interiors. For the Mayo Clinic project, she brought a sense of permanence to its facility in the small town of Rochester, MN—where only 200,000 residents live, yet the town welcomes about three million medical visitors annually. This unique tension spurred a creative revitalization of the downtown area. In her 2018 Boombox project, she transformed shipping containers into affordable micro-retail spaces, enabling small businesses to enter Chicago neighborhoods that she describes as “normally locked out of commercial real estate.” She is now working with one of those businesses, Forty Acres Fresh Market, on a grocery store located on Chicago’s West Side. “It’s not a food desert,” Darnstadt explains, “it’s food apartheid.”
THE CHANGEMAKERS: Ann Lui & Craig Reschke Future Firm, Chicago, IL

(Image credit: Hugo Yu)
Ann Lui and Craig Reschke lead Future Firm, a boutique architecture studio they founded in 2015 in Chicago. Along with Pei-San Ng, Andrea Hunt, and Chloe Munkenbeck, they form a small yet highly influential team known for their ambitious projects.
So, what exactly sets Future Firm apart? “The simplest way to describe us is that we are architects for changemakers. We don’t focus on a specific building type or style; instead, we work well with those who want to drive change in their industries or communities, using architecture as a tool for transformation,” explains Lui. “We also like to think of Future Firm as a dialogue between the two words in our name. ‘Future’ represents the speculative, catalytic, sci-fi-inspired side of our work, while ‘Firm’ emphasizes our commitment to delivering solid, reliable buildings on time and within budget. Our practice thrives on the balance and tension between these two elements.
THE HIP HOP ARCHITECT: Michael Ford Brandnu Design and Hip Hop Architecture Camp, Madison, WI

(Image credit: photographed by Hugo Yu)
Michael Ford is an exceptionally busy individual. Born in Detroit and now based in Madison, this architect not only leads the small yet dynamic Brandnu Design—which specializes in architecture, community engagement, textiles, and fashion—but also spearheads the Hip-Hop Architecture Camp. This international initiative leverages hip-hop culture as a powerful catalyst to introduce underrepresented youth to architecture, design, and urban planning in a culturally resonant way. The camp is part of Muundo Inc, a Wisconsin-based non-profit that Ford founded in 2016—the same year he launched Brandnu Design. The program is entirely free for all participants and includes a paid internship component that places its top talent in architecture and design firms worldwide.
“My work is fueled by my love of Black music,” Ford explains. “The creativity and innovation shown by Black musicians throughout history inspire me to rethink traditional approaches to architecture and design. Hip-hop offers an unfiltered, raw critique of the spaces where the culture was born and where it continues to evolve.” He adds, “I translate the unique rhythms, patterns, textures, and structures of hip-hop culture into architectural elements that define my work.
THE COLLABORATION CHAMPIONS: Elyse Agnello & Alex Shelly DAAM, Chicago, IL

(Image credit: Hugo Yu)
DAAM—an acronym for Designers, Architects, Artists, and Makers—is a vibrant, young studio known for its hands-on approach. “We chose the name deliberately to be bold,” says Elyse Agnello, the Chicago-based founder. “It shifts the focus to our process and output rather than individual credit, and its playful irreverence mirrors our design ambitions.” Founded in 2016, DAAM soon welcomed current co-director Alex Shelly, and together they lead a small team of two to six members. Their work centers on revitalizing neighborhoods, transforming abandoned spaces, inspiring a brighter future, and fostering innovative ways for communities to live, learn, and connect.
As a people-centric practice, DAAM prioritizes dialogue and functionality in its design process—putting form second. This philosophy is evident in the diverse range of projects, clients, and collaborators they choose. “We take pride in not having a fixed type for the projects we undertake. Instead, we seek out and create opportunities where challenges are embraced and celebrated,” Agnello explains.
THE DISRUPTOR: Germane Barnes Studio Barnes, Miami, FL/Chicago, IL

(Image credit: Hugo Yu)
Growing up on Chicago’s West Side, Germane Barnes wanted to be an architect from a young age. “I never saw an artist or knew what an artist was, but from elementary school on, that was my only career goal,” she recalls. “It would be going to my mom’s office in the Sears Building, or going to the Park next to Frank Lloyd Wright’s studio. I don’t know what sparked my interest, but the place just made me so happy.
She added, “Growing up in Chicago gave me a huge advantage in terms of the built environment, which is exciting to think about where I grew up.” – My family lives in a neighborhood called K-town. The neighborhood is a two-story residential neighborhood in Chicago. Its name has been described as something sinister and shunned, but for me, it’s home.
THE LATERAL THINKER: Ishtiaq Jabir Rafiuddin Undecorated, Detroit, MI

(Image credit: Hugo Yu)
Ishtiaq Rafiuddin founded his studio, Undecorated, in New York in 2017 and moved to Detroit the following year. Today, the company has five employees and is growing rapidly. “I want to work in Detroit, a great American city with a rich history that is now in need of creative solutions to drive investment and strengthen the community,” he says.
Deep research for each commission is at the heart of Rafitin’s approach, he explains, “based on the idea that we don’t know what we don’t know.” “In the process, we need to carefully examine the key design problems to find solutions.” This can be very confusing. We need to navigate this process by asking key questions, letting go of preconceived notions, and finding and accepting the meaning that emerges from the chaos. At least that is our aspiration. “This is like laboratory work,” he added.
THE REINVENTORS: Lap Chi Kwong & Alison Von Glinow Kwong Von Glinow, Chicago, IL

(Image credit: Hugo Yu)
Optimism is the driving force behind Chicago-based Kwong Von Glinow’s practice. How does it work? The studio enjoys working with artists, collectors, and art institutions, transforming traditional homes into unique homes for their owners.
“Our work is about translating forward-thinking architectural ideas into inspiring designs with broad appeal,” says Alison Von Glinow, who worked with international architects such as Herzog & de Meuron and Toshiko Mori before founding the practice in 2017. The architects working with the firm include SOM and Svendborg Architects. Kwong has also worked with Herzog & de Meuron and Amateur Architecture Studio on projects including the M+ Museum in Hong Kong (W*272), the Vancouver Art Gallery, and the Kramlich House in California.
THE PRACTICAL INNOVATORS: Thom Moran, Ellie Abrons, Adam Fure and Meredith Miller T+E+A+M, Ann Arbor, MI

(Image credit: Hugo Yu)
The four co-founders of T+E+A+M, a practice based in Ann Arbor, first connected as faculty members at the University of Michigan over ten years ago, where they all hold tenure today. The group, consisting of Ellie Abrons and Adam Fure, as well as Thom Moran and Meredith Miller—who are also couples—officially established T+E+A+M in 2015 after being chosen to participate in the 2016 exhibition for the US Pavilion at the Venice Biennale. Since then, T+E+A+M has focused on expanding its client-driven projects, with recent initiatives such as 4 Over 4, a research project in Detroit that investigates housing through affordable construction methods and diverse typologies.
“In our initial projects, we often examined the interplay between digital and physical realms. We perceive the lines separating these realms as quite indistinct, and this is a domain we engage with as designers,” Abrons explains.
An earlier version of this article was published in Wallpaper* in January 2022.
📅 Published on: 2025-02-01 20:30:00
🖋️ Author: – An expert in architectural innovation and design trends.
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