“This is all I ever wanted to do – to design buildings and spaces that bring joy and meaning, that inspire and offer moments of beauty for everyone.”
Joy Meek
Joy joined Wheeler Kearns Architects in 1998 and became a principal in 2006. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies with University Honors from the University of Illinois in 1995 and a Master of Architecture from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design in 1998.
Throughout her career, Joy has been an active mentor and guide for women, both within the firm and across the broader professional community, helping to foster the next generation of architectural leaders. Since 2001, Joy has mentored high school students through the Illinois Math and Science Academy’s Student Inquiry and Research Program, guiding aspiring architects in yearlong research projects. In 2015, she began serving as an adjunct lecturer in Architecture, Engineering, and Design at Northwestern University’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, a role she continues today. Joy’s leadership was recognized with the 2024 AIA Illinois Alan Madison Award for Diversity Work, honoring her efforts in building a diverse team and advancing equity and inclusion in architecture.
As a project architect, Joy invests in her client’s goals, missions, and making stronger communities, regardless of program, budget, or typology. At Marwen, she helped expand the Arts Campus, creating a hub for free, professional-quality after-school arts programming for Chicago students in grades 6–12, earning three awards, including the national Design Corps SEED Award for Excellence in Public Interest Design. She led the transformation of a 1910 heavy-timber building into The Night Ministry’s new headquarters, a trauma-informed refuge for young adults with a shelter, offices, and multipurpose program spaces, recognized with five awards, including an AIA Illinois Honor Award. Other highly recognized projects include the Ryan Learning Center renovation within the iconic Modern Wing at the Art Institute of Chicago, the Richard Gray Gallery Warehouse, and single-family residences including the Galien River Retreat, the urban Chicago Residence, and Snowmass Retreat nestled into the Colorado mountainside.
An avid reader and traveler, Joy and her husband, Jamie Cook, an architect at Krueck Sexton Partners, live in Chicago’s Logan Square neighborhood with their two children.
Education
| 1998 | MArch, Harvard University, Graduate School of Design |
| 1995 | BSAS, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign |
Professional Affiliations
| 2007-present | American Institute of Architects |
| 2007-present | US Green Building Council, Member, LEED AP |
| 2016-present | Chicago Women in Architecture (CWA) |
Individual Honors
| 2024 | AIA Illinois Alan Madison Award for Diversity Work |
| 2024 | Asian American, Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Honoree |
| 2021 | Crain’s Notable Women in Construction and Design |
| 2015 | Exhibition “This is the House: A Public Installation at the Harvard Graduate School of Design” |
“Joy sees design’s potential to shape a person’s sense of self, quality of learning, social interaction, and habits of mind. Joy was deeply motivated by these principles as we developed the Marwen Arts Campus, a state-of-the-art school devoted to advancing equity in art education for Chicago’s diverse and deserving youth.”
Antonia Contro
Artist, Recent Past President and CEO, Marwen