Partners by Design Honored with Three Awards at 2025 CREA Awards

We are proud to share that Partners by Design was named Architecture Firm of the Year, Interior Design Firm of the Year, and received the Special Achievement Award for the Greater Chicago Food Depository at the 2025 Chicago Commercial Real Estate Awards!

This recognition at Chicago’s premier industry awards is truly humbling, and we couldn’t be more proud of our entire community. These awards are a testament to the trust of our clients, the collaboration of our partners, and the talent and dedication of our internal team. Thank you – we owe this achievement to each of you who have been part of our journey.

Highlights from an Extraordinary Year

Over the past year, our team has had the privilege of working on a range of significant projects that reflect our commitment to design excellence and positive community impact. We’ve delivered innovative new workplaces for leading companies – from the creative, collaborative offices of Pinterest and Relativity to the award-winning law offices of Husch Blackwell – each designed to foster culture and productivity. Each project we completed in 2024 was unique, but all shared a common thread: they were driven by our clients’ bold visions and our team’s passion for creating spaces that inspire. And at the heart of this remarkable year was a project especially close to us: the expansion of the Greater Chicago Food Depository.

Spotlight on the Greater Chicago Food Depository Project

Among our recent projects, the Greater Chicago Food Depository expansion stands out as a defining achievement. Completed in late 2024 after a decade-long collaboration​, this endeavor was far more than a building project – it was about strengthening an essential community lifeline. Together with our partners, we helped transform Chicago’s primary food bank into a state-of-the-art hub that dramatically increases its capacity to fight hunger. We infused the design with features to serve both people and planet: a LEED Silver sustainable design that includes a hydroponic garden and native landscaping for urban farming and rainwater management​ and welcoming community spaces like a refreshed lobby and a new training kitchen that empower volunteers and staff. The facility even incorporates art and storytelling – from murals to a founders’ wall – to celebrate the Food Depository’s mission and inspire visitors. Seeing the impact of this project has been incredibly rewarding: it not only enables the Food Depository to feed more people than ever, but also creates economic opportunities by partnering with local restaurants and provides a dignified, hopeful environment for those it serves​. This project exemplifies what we strive for in every design: meaningful, community-centered innovation. We are so proud that our work with the Food Depository has resonated with both the community and our industry peers.

Gratitude and Looking Ahead

Receiving these honors at the CREA Awards was made even more special by the context of the event. The Chicago Commercial Real Estate Awards brings together our industry not just to celebrate excellence, but also to support a cause we deeply care about – the Greater Chicago Food Depository’s mission to end hunger​. We extend our heartfelt thanks to the CREA Awards organizers and judges for hosting this wonderful event and for recognizing our team’s work. (Last year’s gala raised over $1.1 million to provide more than 3.3 million meals for Chicagoans in need​, a reminder of how design and real estate can give back to our community.) We are honored to be part of such a passionate, generous professional community here in Chicago, and we thank the Food Depository team as well for their partnership and inspiration.

Thank you once again for your support, your collaboration, and for inspiring us every day. We share this success with all of you. Here’s to the bright future and the amazing projects yet to come!