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a b o u t a m y |
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Updated: February 2008
c copyright 2004-08 all rights reserved. |
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BrainSpaces 1100 N. California Avenue Chicago, IL 60622 Ph: 773.531.3221 Fax: 773.342.3662 Email: info@brainspaces.com |
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Principal/Founder |
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e-mail: ayurko@brainspaces.com |
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Amy M. Yurko, AIA |
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contact: 773.531.3221 |
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Pictured with IL State Senator Barack Obama Capitol Hill, 2005 |
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EDUCATION Master of Architecture, 1988 Washington University in St. Louis St. Louis, MO Bachelor of Arts, Architecture, 1985 Washington University in St. Louis St. Louis, MO
PROFESSIONAL LICENSURE Architect: State of Illinois
BIOGRAPHY Amy Yurko is an architect. She is also an educator, writer, speaker/presenter, and community volunteer. Her consulting firm, BrainSpaces, offers collaborative visioning, programming and planning expertise to school districts throughout the country. Currently Chair of the National AIA Continuing Education Quality Assurance Panel, Amy is also dedicated to both learning processes and the profession of architecture. She has served the AIA on both state and national levels including Chair of the National AIA Practice Management Knowledge Community Advisory Group, member of the Advisory Group since 2000, member of the National AIA/AGC (Associated General Contractors) Joint Committee and as Chair of AIA California Council Practice Conference Committee. She has been instrumental in creating programs, activities and content that brings value to AIA membership. She is known for her straightforward style and no-nonsense approach, and has a keen talent for bringing people and ideas together in new ways to promote dynamic collaborations with compelling results. Through teaching architecture to middle school students as well as first and second-year design students at the College of Architecture at Illinois Institute of Technology, Professor Yurko focused on developing student proficiency in clear thought, conceptual visualization and rigorous work ethic within the context of creativity and the profession of architecture. Teaching third- and fourth-year design studios at the University of Southern California’s School of Architecture, she used educational facilities design exercises to facilitate student understanding of how we learn and their exploration of environments that inspire learning. Courses also emphasized the development of student skills for quality design, environmental sustainability, creative thinking, project implementation, and effective presentations. Prior to founding BrainSpaces, Amy was Principal and National Director of School Planning & Design at DLR Group, a then 600-person architecture and engineering firm. Her role at DLR Group included assisting with and coordinating the planning & design of educational facilities and mentoring/training k-12 market sector staff in the firm’s 17 offices. While promoting the school design expertise of the firm nationwide through writing and speaking, she also assisted with the development of the newly established Chicago office. As a leader in the Chicago office of Perkins & Will, she managed the International School design studio, which completed K-12 projects in Manila, Shanghai, Beijing, Nagoya, and Yangon. Several projects were formally recognized for planning and design excellence, and the studio contributed significantly to the firm’s profitability. As Managing Principal at Perkins & Will’s Pasadena Office, she lead the then fledgling office to order, profitability and substantial growth while at the same time maintaining involvement in K-12 education projects, business development, and speaking at regional and national education-related venues. With combined expertise in planning & architecture, teaching & writing, and leadership & practice management, she is uniquely positioned among her peers to positively influence the profession, its practitioners, and those who use the environments we create.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE BrainSpaces – Principal & Founder, 2004-present DLR Group – Principal, Director of School Planning & Design, 2000-2004 Perkins & Will, Los Angeles – Managing Principal, 1998-2000 Perkins & Will, Chicago – Principal, 1990-1998 Booth/Hansen Architects, Chicago – Project Architect, 1988-1990 Various Firms – intern architect, 1985-88
TEACHING EXPERIENCE University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA School of Architecture, Visiting Professor 3rd-4th Year Topic Design Studio, Spring 1999
Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, IL College of Architecture, Visiting Professor 2nd Year Design Studio, Fall-Spring 1995-96 1st Year Design Studio, Spring 1995 Graduate Thesis Advisor, 1996-98
Harvard Graduate School of Design, Cambridge, MA Professional Development Course Instructor “Public School Planning & Design”, Summer 1997
DESIGN AWARDS JURIES American School & University, Design Awards Juror, 2006 DesignShare, Annual International Design Awards Juror, 2006 & 2007 CEFPI Alaska Chapter, Annual School Design Awards Juror, 1999, 2005 & 2006 AIA National Gold Medal & Firm Awards Juror, 2002
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS American Institute of Architects (AIA), 1991-present Women’s Business Enterprise (WBE), 2004-present AIA Chicago Board of Directors, 2007 National AIA Continuing Education Curriculum Design, Committee Chair, 2006 National AIA Continuing Education Task Group, Appointed Member, 2005 AIA/ACG National Joint Committee, Appointed Member, 2004-present AIA National Practice Management KC Advisory Group, 2000-2005, Chair 2004 American Architectural Foundation (AAF); Participant, National School Design Initiative, 2006; Panel Participant, “Great Schools by Design” initiative, 2003 AIA California Council, Chair, Practice Management, 1999-2000 Council of Educational Facility Planners International (CEFPI) Association for the Advancement of International Education (AAIE)
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For a listing and select downloads of Amy’s presentations: click HERE |
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Bradley-Bourbonnais Community High School; Bradley, IL (with DLR Group) Programming, Planning & Concept Design of a new 2,200 student comprehensive high school
Washington Unified School District; West Sacramento, California (with DLR Group) Programming & Planning for a new 2,600 student comprehensive high school
Farmington Independent School District #192; Farmington, MN (with DLR Group) Programming & Planning for a new 2,400 student comprehensive high school
Gravette Public Schools; Gravette, AR (with DLR Group) Programming, Planning & Design of a new 800 student comprehensive high school
Ray Marsh Elementary School; Overland Park, KS (with DLR Group) Planning & Design for a new 3-section elementary school
Laramie County School District #1, Freedom Elementary, Cheyenne, WY (with DLR Group) Planning & Design for a new 2-section elementary school
Nampa High School; Nampa, ID (with DLR Group) Programming, Planning & Design Symposium: New 1,500 student high school
Douglass Replacement High School, Oklahoma City, OK (with DLR Group) Planning & Design, New 2,000 student high school
Kamehameha Schools; Honolulu, Hawaii (with DLR Group) Campus Assessment & Master Plan for a K-12 boarding school campus
Lawrence Unified School District #497; Lawrence, Kansas (with DLR Group) Comprehensive District-Wide Facilities Assessment & Master Plan
Lee’s Summit High School; Lee’s Summit, Kansas (with DLR Group) Planning & Design: New 1,600 student high school.
Clark County Prototype Elementary School; Las Vegas, Nevada (with DLR Group) Programming & Design: New 2-story Prototype School for 660 students Grades K-5
Sacred Heart School; Chicago, Illinois (with DLR Group) Renovation & Addition to existing K-8 facility
Pequot Lakes K-5 Facility; Pequot Lakes, Minnesota (with DLR Group) Planning & Design: New 700-student K-5 school
Nampa Middle School; Nampa, Idaho (with DLR Group) Programming & Planning: New 1,150-Student Middle School
Estevan Joint Use Primary School; Estevan, Saskatchewan, Canada (with Friggstad Downing Henry Architects & DLR Group) Planning & Concept Design: New 600-student K-8 school
Long Branch High School; Long Branch, New Jersey (with DLR Group) Planning & Design: New 1,600 Student High School
San Diego City Schools; San Diego, California (with Perkins + Will) Programming/ District-wide Standards/Prototype School Components
St. Bonaventure Integrated Facility; Concord, California (with Perkins + Will) Programming, Ed Specs & Design: K-8 Private School Campus & Parish Facilities AIA Citation of Honor for Design, Unbuilt Projects Category
South Anchorage Area High School; Anchorage, Alaska (with ECI/Hyer and Perkins + Will) Planning & Design: New 1,600-student High School
Broward County School District; Miami, Florida (with Perkins + Will) Programming & District-wide Ed. Specs: Two 3,000-student High Schools
Middle School at High Desert; Albuquerque, New Mexico (with Perkins + Will) Programming, Ed Specs & Design: New Private Middle School
Anderson North and South High Schools; Anderson, Indiana (with Perkins + Will) Programming, Conceptual Design: Two 1,800-student High Schools
Liberty High School; Liberty, Ohio (with Perkins + Will) Programming, Concept, Design: New 800-student High School
Falmouth High School; Falmouth, Maine (with Perkins + Will) New 800-student High School
Old St. Patrick’s Elementary School; Chicago, Illinois (with Booth/Hansen) Renovation & Historic Preservation ProjectK-12 International Schools
Concordia International School; Shanghai, People’s Republic of China (with Perkins + Will) Programming, Master Planning & Concept Design: New 1,700-student K-12 Campus
International School Manila, Fort Bonifacio, Metro Manila, Philippines (with Perkins + Will) Programming, Master Planning & Design: 4,000-student K-12 Campus
International School; Beijing, People’s Republic of China (with Perkins + Will) Project Management, Programming, Planning & Concept Design: 2,500-student K-12 Campus
Brent International School-Manila; Manplasan, Manila, Philippines (with Perkins + Will) Programming, Master Planning & Design: New 1,500-student K-12 Campus
International School Yangon; Yangon, Myanmar (with Perkins + Will) Project Management, Programming & Master Planning: Phased 1,000-student K-12 Campus
Higher Education
University of Hawaii; West Oahu Campus (with DLR Group) Programming, Planning & Design for replacement college campus
University of California-Riverside; Riverside, CA (with Perkins + Will) Programming, Master Planning: Surge Building – Classrooms, Lecture & Laboratories
University of California San Diego, School of Medicine; CA (with Perkins + Will) Project Management: Long-Range Campus Master Plan & Capitol Improvement Plan
Loyola University Medical Center; Maywood, Illinois (with Perkins + Will) Planning & Design: Cancer Research and Treatment Facility
University of Illinois; Urbana-Champaign, Illinois (with Perkins + Will) Project Team: Partial Campus Master Plan & New Chemical and Life Sciences Building |
Prior to BrainSpaces (also see BrainSpaces projects here.)Prior to the formation of BrainSpaces, Amy held positions at several noted architectural firms, gaining valuable experience from the staff, clients and projects with which she worked, many of these are included in the listing below. As a licensed architect, she is proud to have enjoyed the following key positions: DLR Group (Chicago) – Principal, Director of School Planning & Design, 2000-2004 Perkins + Will (Chicago & Los Angeles) – Principal, 1990-2000 Booth/Hansen Architects (Chicago) – Project Architect, 1988-1990 |