Chicago Design Office expands social equity, sustainability, and contemporary aesthetics through the built environment. Founded by architect Aneesha Dharwadker, the practice balances warm, unique design vision with technical expertise, clear communication, and rigorous project management.
Recent projects include residential and commercial renovations at multiple scales, with an emphasis on creative and seamless adaptive reuse. The firm offers services across design, planning, and construction, and has extensive experience with zoning and permitting in the City of Chicago and surrounding suburbs.
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Aneesha Dharwadker, AIA
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Aneesha is originally from Hyde Park and grew up in Georgia, Oklahoma, and Wisconsin. She attended Cornell University (B.Arch ‘09) and the Harvard Graduate School of Design (M.Des.S ‘12). Prior to founding Chicago Design Office, she practiced at Booth Hansen, Safdie Architects, CS&P Architects, and SOM Chicago. She is licensed in the state of Illinois.
From 2016-2024 Aneesha was on the faculty at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she taught architecture, landscape architecture, and sustainable design. In 2022 she was awarded the national New Faculty Teaching Award from the ACSA for excellence in early career design education. Now a full-time practitioner, she brings a strong educational and interdisciplinary ethos to the firm, drawing inspiration from poetry and literature, music, painting, graphic design, photography, and film. Her favorite writer is James Joyce and favorite film sequence is the first five minutes of “Drive.”
Aneesha’s ideas and design work have been published in both peer-reviewed and public journals. Key writings include Dystopia’s Ghost (Places, 2022), detailing the ongoing destructive urban design practices of Narendra Modi’s administration in New Delhi, and Design for Covid-19: Rethinking an American Campus (The Plan Journal, 2022), offering multiple campus design strategies for improved public health and educational outcomes after the pandemic.
Permanent Buildings, Fluid History: An Account of Diasporic Practice in America (Princeton Architectural Press, 2024) details how Chicago Design Office is, among other firms in the U.S., working to establish a new practice paradigm that draws from diverse, often postcolonial cultural backgrounds to positively impact both the built environment and the day-to-day workings of an architecture office.
Aneesha lives in West Town with her husband Conor, a visionary landscape architect with whom she often collaborates, and their two adventurous sons.
Photo by Alina Tsvor
Ishita Anand
Architectural Designer
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Ishita Anand is an architectural designer at Chicago Design Office, where she has been contributing to innovative design solutions since joining the office in July 2024. Growing up between London and Singapore, she developed a deep appreciation for the built environment and its impact on urban life, sparking her passion for architecture and infrastructure development.
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She holds a Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies, with a minor in Urban Planning, from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ('24). She spent her third year in Barcelona studying the way architecture impacts lives in different cities around Europe, helping understand the fundamental basis behind cultural design. Prior to joining Chicago Design Office, Ishita gained valuable experience as an intern at Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF) in New York, where she worked on a diverse range of projects, including commercial high-rises and residential developments.
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Ishita’s design philosophy is rooted in the integration of functionality, sustainability, and aesthetics. She is particularly interested in urban resilience, adaptive reuse, and the role of technology in shaping future cities. At Chicago Design Office, she is committed to creating thoughtful, dynamic spaces that enhance the human experience.
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Photo by Estefanie Rendon
Services
Architectural and interior design (concept through construction)
Zoning, building code, and design feasibility studies
Standard Design Fees (2025)
General consultation, $125/hour
Residential design, $10-12/square foot
Commercial design, $3-5/square foot
Pro-bono and low-bono services for community organizations
Fees include design, consultant coordination, permitting, and construction administration. Fees do not include structural, mechanical, electrical, or plumbing engineering. We work with several consultants across Chicago and can provide recommendations.
Business Hours
Monday-Friday 9:30AM-5PM
Closed on federal holidays and Chicago Public Schools non-instructional days.