Grace is a registered architect in the state of Illinois and a LEED-accredited professional. Her design experience includes a broad range of project types, including campuses, corporate headquarters, office buildings, and mixed use developments. The firm’s clients value her award-winning design abilities and her talent for quick and efficient problem-solving.
At Hoerr Schaudt, Grace directs the implementation of some of the firm’s highest profile projects, including landscape design for the multiple green roofs and street-level landscapes at the Block 37 development at 108 N. State Street, located in the heart of Chicago’s loop; the award-winning green roof at 900 North Michigan Avenue, which has quickly become a sought-after amenity by those purchasing luxury condominiums in the mixed-use complex; and the new gateway at the north end of Loyola University Chicago, which introduces the use of bioswales and porous paving to address stormwater issues.
Grace serves as Chair of the Mayor Daley Fountain Committee, an executive member of Mayor Daley’s Landscape Taskforce helping to shape the future of Chicago’s urban landscape. In 2007, she presented a case study to the national Green Roofs for Healthy Cities Conference in Minneapolis on the design challenges of a 14,000 square foot green roof in downtown Chicago. She is also a member of Chicago Women in Architecture and a past Associate Director of the American Institute of Architects. Grace is a board member of the Greater North Michigan Avenue Association and co-chair of its Public Way Committee. In 2006, she directed the design of Garden in a City, the country’s first garden and landscape design show focused on urban horticulture and community greening.
Grace joined Hoerr Schaudt in 2003, after working with Booth Hansen Associates in Chicago. She received a Master of Architecture from the University of Pennsylvania, following a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from Penn State University. Grace’s experience includes a broad range of project types, including corporate headquarters, office buildings, and numerous award-winning retail interiors. Her retail interior experience includes programming, space planning, design and selection of materials, selection of FF&E, development of artwork programs and overseeing the installation of furnishings.