Monica Chadha is a LEED certified, licensed architect who has been practicing for over 20 years. She is the Founder and Principal of Civic Projects, and brings a diverse background in social engagement and quality design to her work.

At both Studio Gang Architects and Ross Barney Architects, Ms. Chadha was responsible for the design and team leadership of several award-wining buildings including the Champaign Public Library and the University of Minnesota Duluth’s Civil Engineering Building.

Ms. Chadha has been an Adjunct Professor - engaging students in social impact design practices - in the College of Architecture at the Illinois Institute of Technology since 2007. In 2011, she served as the Founding Director of Impact Detroit, a partnership with the Detroit Collaborative Design Center (University of Detroit, Mercy) that provides comprehensive design, environmental, social and economic development services to communities in Detroit. Monica is also Strategic Consultant for Archeworks a Chicago-based design school, research lab and think-tank.

Ms. Chadha received her Masters of Architecture degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago, and a Bachelor of Environmental Studies in Architecture from the University of Waterloo, Canada. The Design Futures Council recognized her as an Emerging Leader in 2010 and in 2013 she was included in the inaugural Public Interest Design 100 list of leaders. She currently serves on the Chicago Metropolitan Planning Council’s Placemaking and is co-chair of the Sensible Growth Committees.