Bio:
 The great designer, Jackie Koo is the founding Principal of KOO, an award-winning mid-size Architecture, Interior Design and Planning Firm.  KOO’s  diverse project types include Hospitality, Education,  Commercial, Residential, Interior Design and Institutional Projects.  Jackie received her undergraduate degree in Philosophy from the University of Chicago and her Master of Architecture from the University of Illinois at Chicago.  

How did you first learn about architecture and when did you decide that built environment profession was an area of interest for you?
Architecture was a second career.  My first exposure was working at temporary employment agency where I was assigned to be the receptionist for an architecture firm. The experience stuck with me and  I graduated from the UIC  M.Arch program at 29.

What do you do?
I am an Architect and Designer,  founding Principal of KOO, a mid-size Architecture, Interior Design and Planning firm in Chicago Illinois.

What excites you in the work you do?
What excites me is seeing the project built.   Especially for larger projects, it is a magical process to get from the computer screen to the constructed building. 

Who or what inspires you professionally?
What inspires me is seeing our projects used by the public. Seeing the power of design to elevate the human spirit and the users whose lives are changed by the spaces we create are unforgettable moments in my career.

What is your proudest professional accomplishment or achievement?
My proudest professional accomplishment is founding and developing my own office culture and being part of a small group of women leaders of color in the field. My proudest achievement is  facilitating the professional and personal growth of staff.
 
Featured Project Name: 
Thorncreek Senior Apartments

Featured Project Location: 
Thornton, IL 
 
Featured Project Completion Date: 
2016

Role in Featured Project: 
Architect and Interior Designer
 
Featured Project Description:
The Thorncreek Senior Apartments includes 46 senior living units with balconies and amenities such as a resident garden, community room, library, game room, fitness center, and parking. As architect and designer, KOO’s building design was inspired by the area’s lumber manufacturing past, incorporating the warmth of wood for a unique and much-needed new senior residence in the community. 4 wood-framed Residential Floors sit atop a concrete parking podium.

Photography Credit:
Rose Yuen


Featured Project Name: 
Bronzeville Classical School

Featured Project Location: 
Chicago, IL 
 
Featured Project Completion Date: 
2018

Role in Featured Project: 
Architect and Interior Designer
 
Featured Project Description:
KOO performed a comprehensive renovation of a 1960’s-era school to house a new K-8 public school. Our objective was to transform an outdated, shuttered charter school and give it a new identity. The renovation included many interior spaces including classrooms, bathrooms, cafeteria, gymnasium, stage, and the building entry. Exterior renovations included removal of failing mosaic tile spandrel panels and replacement with fiber cement panels and vertical, aluminum sun shade devices.

Photography Credit:
Tom Rossiter


Featured Project Name: 
Altgeld Family Resource Center

Featured Project Location: 
Chicago, IL 
 
Featured Project Completion Date: 
2020

Role in Featured Project: 
Architect and Interior Designer
 
Featured Project Description:
The Altgeld Family Resource Center is a 40,000 SF building in the Altgeld Gardens public housing development that includes a Chicago Public Library, childcare center and community meeting space. Designed as a continuous ribbon, the building is intended to be experienced from all sides, so there is no front or back. Interior courts create protected, defensible spaces for the users, while allowing natural light and ventilation within the wide footprint of the building.

Photography Credit:
KOO LLC