With over 20 years of experience as an architect, Juan M. Villafañe leads complex projects by first identifying clear and understandable concepts. This clarity is a tool for collaborating with stakeholders from municipalities to engineers, builders, and Clients. Juan’s career began as a custom metal fabricator, this training fostered a technical rigor rooted in making. This background informs his work which expresses craft to form tactile spaces that enrich human experience. His unique ability to see both the whole and the detail has made him an important contributor to all KSP projects.
Juan is an active member of the Urban Land Institute where he co-chairs ULI Chicago’s Public Policy committee. He works with a diverse set of building industry experts to identify urban challenges in the Chicago region. His experience working on architectural projects in cities like Singapore, Buenos Aires, and Sri Lanka informs his approach to finding the specificity of places, and further informs KSP’s sustainable architectural practice. His interest in passive solutions has been at the center of KSP projects such as the recently completed International Square project, that reduces energy use and stimulates engagement with nature and one’s environment.
