Elaine Zmuda
Designer II

Growing up in Northwest Indiana, Elaine has established roots in the Chicago region. She has spent most of her adult life in the city, earning an undergraduate degree in architecture from the Illinois Institute of Technology and launching her design career here. Though she left briefly to pursue a Master of Landscape Architecture at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design, she quickly returned home to Chicago to re-establish her Midwestern focus.

Elaine is passionate about extending her landscape design practice beyond traditional projects through environmental stewardship. From community beekeeping in Pilsen to volunteering with Urban Rivers to maintain floating wetlands along the Chicago River, her dedication to her Chicago community is boundless. One of her favorite aspects of her work is facilitating community meetings, where she connects with residents and shares in their excitement about reshaping their environment.

Outside of work, Elaine embraces her creativity through kayaking, reading, ceramics, collaging, and filmmaking, continually exploring, experimenting, and engaging with the world.