Amy Berka, Lead Residential Architect

Joining Scott Simpson Design + Build is the culmination of a life-long dream: to practice collaborative residential architecture with cerebral partners that support my values of honesty, simplicity, creativity and quality — ours is a practice where clients become thinkers and co-conspirators of great design.

Our take on architecture | construction- or integrated design- was hatched over breakfast one morning about 6 years ago. So, while I am the last to join the SSDB family, don’t worry – I’ve known Scott, TK and Kathleen for 12+ years. I designed TK and Jenny’s house and can still remember TK challenging me to apply Vitruvian principles to the space. What a start!

Everyone knows Scott and TK – it’s hard not to after 30+ years of their trucks driving up and down Sheridan Road. Not everyone knows about me though, so here goes:

Award-Winning Residential Architect, North Shore

I grew up in Park Ridge and studied architecture at IIT – kind of by accident. When I told Joe Bonadonna, my high school counselor, that I wanted to go to college and paint, he laughed out loud, raised his eyebrows and asked me if I wanted to starve. No. So that’s how I ended up in architecture school.

After graduation (one of only six women in my class) I worked at Solomon Cordwell Buenz on high-rise residential projects in Chicago and San Francisco. I left SCB to join Michael Hershenson Architects and explore smaller scale, relationship-focused residential work. After several years at MHA, I joined Stuart Cohen & Julie Hacker Architects to focus on complex renovations of historic homes.

And, remarkably 20 years later, here I am doing what I love at Scott Simpson Design + Build.

Amy Berka Architecture Resumé

Amy Berka received her Bachelor of Architecture from Illinois Institute of Technology in 1996, and her license to practice architecture in the State of Illinois in 2000. In 2009, she became a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Accredited Professional [LEED-AP©] furthering her commitment to sustainable design and construction practices.

Her impressive career began in Chicago at Solomon Cordwell Buenz, working on high-rise residential projects. She then joined Michael Hershenson Architects to explore smaller scale, relationship-focused residential work. After several years at MHA, Amy joined Stuart Cohen & Julie Hacker Architects — the preeminent residential firm on Chicago’s North Shore — focusing on complex renovations of historic homes. Amy established her own firm, which later joined Scott Simpson builders to make Scott Simpson Design + Build.