Brian Vitale, co-Managing Director and inspirational leader of the Gensler Chicago office, and whose focus on process has always outweighed any typological expertise, is one of the firm's most awarded designers. He has authored some of the firm’s most significant and diverse work, including the Gratz Center at Fourth Presbyterian Church, the Kohler Creative Communications building, the Shirley Ryan Abilitylab, Columbia College Chicago’s Student Center and KU’s Capitol Federal Hall to name a few.
A firm believer in the benefits of blurring the line between academia and professional worlds, Vitale has served as adjunct design faculty at the University of Illinois Chicago, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and currently at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where in 2015, he delivered the keynote speech at the School of Architecture’s convocation ceremony.
Lauded by the industry throughout his career, Vitale’s influential work has earned over 80 major design honors including two National AIA awards, and personally receiving the prestigious Chicago AIA Dubin Family Young Architect Award and the National AIA Young Architect Award. Most recently, Brian was honored in 2022 by being listed as #2 on the 50 people “shaping Chicago’s design culture” list by New City magazine.
Born in Chicago, Brian received his Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and his Master of Architecture with Honors from Washington University in St Louis where he received the 2020 Award of Distinction, given to an alum who has demonstrated outstanding accomplishments in their career. Brian was also bestowed an Honorary Doctorate of the Arts by Columbia College Chicago.