Brian Vitale, AIA, LEED AP

Brian is a design principal and the Co-Managing Director of Gensler’s Chicago office. With nearly 30 years of experience, Brian leads with an acute understanding of the poetic and pragmatic sides of architecture, driving progressive interdisciplinary design solutions for clients and communities. Named “one of the 50 people shaping design in Chicago,” his influential work has earned more than 90 major design honors locally, nationally, and internationally, including accolades for projects such as the Gratz Center at Fourth Presbyterian Church, the Columbia College Student Center, and the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab.

As an architect, mentor, and inspirational leader, Brian blurs the lines between roles and industries enabling growth for those around him. He has served as visiting design faculty at various universities and frequently lectures on design and leadership topics to students and professionals. Brian sits on the University of Illinois School of Architecture Advisory Board and the Washington University in St Louis’ Sam Fox School of Design National Council. He also maintains a position on the national AIA Practice Management Knowledge Community where he shares his insights on effective firm leadership.

Brian holds a Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a Master of Architecture with Honors from Washington University in St. Louis, where he was awarded both the school’s Distinguished Young Alumni Award and its prestigious Award of Distinction based on his influential career. Additionally, Brian was recently awarded an Honorary Doctorate of the Arts from Columbia College Chicago for his transformative work.