Since 1992
As colleagues working for a Lake County architectural firm in the early 1990s, school architects Michael Gilfillan and Patrick Callahan discovered a common bond. Not only were they both School of Architecture alumni from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, but they also shared a similar vision: to create a civic-minded firm that would specialize in designing cost-efficient, smartly designed public buildings.
Beyond the aspect of design, this new firm—Gilfillan Callahan Architects—would redefine the role of the traditional, public architect. They would become less of a vendor, and more of a partner to its clients. In this new model, relationships were viewed just as important—if not more—than the physical project itself.
Vowing “hands-on” involvement of the firm's principals, Gilfillan and Callahan took the extraordinary step of promising to clients their personal involvement in each project phase. This would include assuming a more public role during board meetings. This measure would ultimately help communities and board members alike, to better understand the scope of architectural projects, as well as project options based on budget and space constraints.
In 2007, the duo named firm principal Stephen Nelson as a partner. Nelson, a senior project manager who joined the firm in 2001, demonstrated his abilities by managing simultaneous, large-scale school renovation projects. Later that year, he was elected to the Sycamore Community Unit School District 427 Board.
We remain a diverse group of individuals with a strong, common purpose. Gilfillan Callahan Nelson Architects hires the best people, surrounds itself with dedicated consultants and business partners, and retains a loyal client base. Our true reward is in knowing that we have made a positive difference in the school districts (and communities) that we so respectfully serve.
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