Guiding Beliefs

Meet Our Team

Chana Haouzi, AIA  founder and principal

Chana is an architect, educator, and founder of Architecture for Public Benefit. She is driven by the belief that the spaces we inhabit shape our lives—and that everyone deserves design that uplifts them. With comprehensive experience across all phases of project delivery—from design and documentation to construction administration—Chana excels in collaborating with mission-driven organizations to craft a clear vision and carry it through to completion. Guided by a collaborative process, she has partnered with organizations such as Music Box Foundation, Justice4Housing, the Boston Public Library, Resilient Cities Network, and YouthBuild Boston to create spaces that reflect and amplify their missions. Under her leadership, the firm has received the AIA Chicago Foundation’s Roberta Feldman Architecture for Social Justice Award and multiple AIA Chicago Design Excellence Awards, with work exhibited at the Chicago Architecture Center, the Venice Architecture Biennale, and the Boston Society for Architecture. Chana teaches at the University of Chicago, where her courses focus on socially engaged design and the role of architecture in shaping civic life. She is President of the Association for Community Design, a board member of the Chicago Architectural Club, and Associate Curator of the 2025 Chicago Architecture Biennial. She holds a Master of Architecture II from Harvard University, as well as a Master of Architecture and a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from McGill University. She was awarded the 2020 Enterprise Rose Fellowship with the City of Boston, the AIA Young Architects Award in 2022, and Crain's Chicago Business 40 Under 40.

Matthew Okazaki  principal

Matthew is a designer, strategist, and principal at Architecture for Public Benefit. His interest lies in the process and underlying strategies involved with solving complex problems throughout systems of various scale. By understanding a problem as a combination of spatial, programmatic, operational, and financial elements, Matthew utilizes his background in both qualitative and quantitative analysis and strategic thinking to help develop thoughtful solutions for mission-driven organizations. He has worked with numerous public and nonprofit entities, including the Brookline and Boston Public Libraries, Asian Task Force Against Domestic Violence, Aaron's Presents, the Oakland Unified School District, the San Francisco Planning Department, The Nature Conservancy, and The Center for Independent Documentary. He holds a Master of Architecture with commendation from Harvard University, and a Bachelor of Science in Applied Mathematics from UCLA. Matthew is an active member of The Architecture Lobby, an organization that advocates for more socially relevant and civic-minded architecture, and is a Professor of Practice at Tufts University, and Director of the Architectural Studies program, where he teaches architecture and design studios. He actively serves as a design critic and juror for Boston-based universities and organizations and has held teaching positions at Northeastern University and Brandeis University.

Olivia is an Architectural Designer at Architecture for Public Benefit, interested in exploring sensorial experiences in interior architecture through the renovation and restoration of existing structures. Olivia designs to connect people to impactful spaces and meet the needs of their communities. Olivia has received the Susan Nealy Scholarship Award and the Kevin K. Pierce Scholarship Award for an outstanding third-year undergraduate project. She has worked on multiple projects during the 2021 Chicago Architecture Biennial. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from the University of Illinois at Chicago, summa cum laude, and is a member of the American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS), having previously held a board member position as Event Coordinator for the UIC chapter.

Lev Ko  architectural designer

Lev is an Architectural Designer at Architecture for Public Benefit, where they bring a collaborative spirit and a passion for mission-driven work to every project. In addition to their design role, Lev contributes as an on-site builder, community engagement facilitator, creative problem solver, and talented photographer. They have supported organizations including the Boston Centers for Youth & Families, YouthBuild Boston, Chicago State University, Resilient Cities Network, and Scitopia Chicago. Lev is an integral part of APB’s design team, shaping project visions for nonprofit partners and producing clear, accessible drawings that bring those ideas to life. Lev earned a bachelor’s degree with a double major in Art Studio (Architecture) and East Asian Studies (Literature & Art) from Wesleyan University, graduating with high honors. Their art studio thesis, an exhibition entitled I. The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone (2025), reimagines 19th-century landscape painting to explore how aesthetics and technological innovation continue to shape our understanding of land and power into the 21st century.

Defne Ko design fellow

Lucia is a Design Fellow at Architecture for Public Benefit, motivated on the relationship between people and the built environment and how spaces can be thoughtfully designed to serve those who inhabit them. She is a rising fourth-year student at the University of Chicago, double majoring in Psychology and Economics and minoring in Architectural Studies. On campus, she is a member of Expositions Magazine, where she has worked across design and production. She has also been involved with DSP and previously worked with the Arts and Public Life Center, supporting local artists and entrepreneurs. At Architecture for Public Benefit, Lucia is supporting an affordable housing development across seven vacant lots in Evanston through a research- and community-driven design process. She is also developing fabrication details for a design-build project, helping translate design ideas into the details of how they will be made and built.

Evan Stuart design fellow

Evan is a Design Fellow at Architecture for Public Benefit, interested in how aesthetics shape our reception of our physical and digital environments. He is an undergraduate at the University of Chicago pursuing a degree in Media Arts & Design. In addition, he works as a student projectionist for the University’s Film Studies Center and supports theater and the performing arts as a designer of lighting, props, and costumes. At Architecture for Public Benefit, Evan is a creative magician, creating beautiful models and animations that capture the mission and experience of our design projects. His work serves as both a design and communication tool, helping us explore ideas and giving our partners a glimpse of what the future could look like.

Defne Ergoz design fellow

Defne is a Design Fellow at Architecture for Public Benefit. She is a rising fourth-year BA/MA student at the University of Chicago, pursuing a BA in Environment, Geography, and Urbanization (CEGU) with a minor in Architectural Studies, alongside an MA in Art History. On campus, Defne’s professional involvements have encompassed Teaching Assistant positions in the Department of Art History this past academic year; since 2024, she has also worked within CEGU and the Mansueto Institute for Urban Innovation. Additionally, Defne has been an Architectural Exhibitions/Operations intern at the Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts since 2025.

“We are very fortunate to work with Architecture for Public Benefit on Building Bridges: Shaping Spaces for Family Permanency project. They worked collaboratively with our staff to understand our mission, values, services, and populations. They were very thoughtful and open to hearing clients’ needs and staff’s needs. They have incorporated different voices into their space design that advance our mission to serve our children, youth, individuals, and families. Their architectural knowledge and design also help us to envision our services in the next decade. They are an incredible architectural team that walks their talk.”

Yoyo Yau
Chief Executive Officer of Bridges Homeward

Lectures and Workshops

• "Women’s History Month Panel Discussion," Perkins&Will, Chana Haouzi as Invited Panelist. Chicago, IL

• “Design with a Mission,” Rhode Island School of Design Choi Endowed Fund Lecture, by Chana Haouzi and Matthew Okazaki, Providence, RI
  
• “Values-Driven Design,” AIA Conference on Architecture and Design, by Chana Haouzi and Matthew Okazaki, Boston, MA
  
• “Bridging the Gap: Education to Practice,” Boston Architectural College, by Matthew Okazaki, Boston, MA
  
• Architect’s Roundtable, Chicago Sukkah Design Festival, Moderated by Chana Haouzi, Chicago, IL
  
• “Scaling Community Resilience: Tools for Action,” Resilient Cities Network, Presentation by Chana Haouzi, Virtual
  
• “Women in Planning and Development: Chicago Small Talks,” Women in Planning and Development, Talk by Chana Haouzi, Chicago, IL
  
• “Youth Perspectives: Community, Innovation, Resilience,” Resilient Cities Network Conference, Invited Panel by Chana Haouzi, Chicago, IL
  
• “Design with a Mission,” Harvard Graduate School of Design, Invited Lecture by Chana Haouzi and Matthew Okazaki, Cambridge, MA
  
• “Planning with Purpose,” Chicago Architecture Center Teen Saturday Studios, Presentation by Chana Haouzi, Chicago, IL
  
• “Placemaking Network: Architecture for Public Benefit,” Boston Society for Architects, by Chana Haouzi and Matthew Okazaki, Boston, MA
  
• “Trauma-Informed Design,” Illinois Chapter of NOMA, Presentation by Chana Haouzi, Chicago, IL
  
• “Designing for Good,” School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Contemporary Issues in Design, Lecture by Chana Haouzi, Chicago, IL
• “Well-being + Health: Rethinking Standards,” ACSA/AIA Intersections Research Conference, Moderated by Chana Haouzi, Austin, TX

• “Practice Reimagined: A New Way to Design for Public Good,” AIA Illinois Emerging Professional Summit, by Chana Haouzi, Springfield, IL
• “Shade is Social Justice: How the City of Cambridge Tackles Heat Mitigation,” MAPC, by Matthew Okazaki, Cambridge, MA
• “Home and Migration,” University of Waterloo School of Architecture Lecture Series, Presentation by Chana Haouzi, Cambridge, ON
• “Designing for Public Good,” University of Chicago, Lecture by Chana Haouzi, Chicago, IL
• “Giving Voice: Elevating Underrepresented Design Practitioners and Practice,” Harvard School of Design, by Chana Haouzi, Cambridge, MA
• “The Architecture of Community Space,” McGill University School of Architecture, Presentation by Chana Haouzi, Montreal, QC
• “Free to All: Outdoor Spaces for the Boston Public Library,” Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture Conference, Invited Presentation by Chana Haouzi and Matthew Okazaki, Vancouver, BC

• “Reconstructing Community,” Wentworth Institute of Technology, Invited Lecture by Matthew Okazaki, Boston, MA
  
• “Creating a Demand for Better: Teaching in Place,” Association for Community Design Conference, by Chana Haouzi, Chicago, IL
  
• “Understanding the Built Environment,” University of Chicago, Guest Lecture by Chana Haouzi, Chicago, IL
  
• “Chicago Sukkah Design Festival: Architect’s Roundtable,” Panel participation by Chana Haouzi, Chicago, IL
  
• “We@UIC” Lecture Series, University of Illinois Chicago, Invited Lecture by Chana Haouzi, Chicago, IL
  
• “Design, With,” Harvard Graduate School of Design, Invited Lecture by Chana Haouzi, Cambridge, MA
  
• “Practice as Research,” University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign School of Architecture, Lecture by Chana Haouzi, Urbana-Champaign, IL

• “Lifecycle of Materials,” University of Chicago and SMART Museum, Invited Panel by Chana Haouzi, Chicago, IL
  

• “Making Do” Northeastern University, Invited Lecture by Matthew Okazaki. Boston MA.
  

• “Insights from a New Generation of Leaders,” AIA Young Architect Award Recipients Panel, Participation by Chana Haouzi, Boston, MA
  
• “Getting Licensed as an Architect,” Harvard Graduate School of Design, Invited Presentation by Chana Haouzi, Cambridge, MA
  
• “ONECAPE: Housing Strategies from Across the Cape and the Commonwealth,” Cape Cod Commission, Presentation by Chana Haouzi
• “Networking for ADUs,” Boston Society for Architecture, Facilitation by Chana Haouzi, Boston, MA
  
• “Alternative Frameworks for Architectural Practice: the Coop Model,” Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture, Presentation by Matthew Okazaki. St Louis, MO, 2021
• “Model ADU: Prototypes for Backyard Living,” Boston Architectural College, Guest Lecture by Chana Haouzi, Boston, MA
  
• “Co-creating Boston’s Future-Decker,” Boston Society for Architecture Workshop, Facilitation by Chana Haouzi, Boston, MA
  Friday Faculty Talks, Northeastern University CAMD School of Architecture, Invited Lecture by Chana Haouzi, Boston, MA
• “Neighbors in Conversation: Informing Future Housing Innovations,” Boston Museum of Science, Facilitation by Chana Haouzi, Boston, MA
  

Certifications

Registered Benefit Corporation:

Our firm is chartered with a formal commitment to improving the built environment and the lives of all through design.

Certified Women’s Business Enterprise (WBE):

We are a woman-led, diverse, and passionate team focused on equity in the built environment.

Licensed Architecture Practice:

As a Professional Design Firm licensed to practice in Illinois, Massachusetts, and Indiana, with the certification to register in other states as project needs arise.

Recognition

Award-Winning Practice:

Recipient of numerous Design Excellence Awards, including the AIA Chicago Foundation Roberta Feldman Architecture for Social Justice Award. Our team has been recognized by Crain’s Chicago Business “40 Under 40”, the AIA National Young Architect Award, and the Rome Prize in Architecture from the American Academy.

Global & Local Reach:

Our work has been exhibited at the Venice Architecture Biennale, the Chicago Architecture Center, and the Boston Society for Architecture. With writings published by the Chicago Architect Magazine, The Boston Art Review, and the Journal of Architectural Education.

Let's Build Your Mission Together