Andrew Balster is a Chicago-based leader operating in the areas of architecture, urbanism, public policy, sociology, and academia. Working closely with influential leaders, ranging from architects and planners to government officials and strategists, he creates collaborative platforms that advance the application of design and design-thinking.
In practice, Andrew has worked on projects that are broad in typology and scale – ranging from small civic centers to super-tall towers to entire urban districts. Andrew was a Senior Designer at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) in Chicago on several award-winning projects located all over the globe. He received an MScAAD and an MArch w/distinction from the University of Edinburgh in the UK. Andrew joined Archeworks as Executive Director in February 2015.
Formally trained as an architect, Andrew has a critical and creative approach to problem finding and problem solving. He has a long track-record as a strategic connector and a leader of complex projects — breaking down industry and disciplinary silos — forming multidisciplinary collaborations and projects that utilize design for systems level change in our cities and world.
Co-sponsored by the Department of Art + Design