Paul Pettigrew

Associate Director of Undergraduate Programs

Paul Pettigrew is founder of Paul Pettigrew Architect & Products in Space; design and fabrication practices based in Chicago & Cambridge. As Paul Pettigrew Architect & Products in Space, Paul has been designing and fabricating the relationships between cities, buildings and functional objects for the past 28 years. 

Paul holds a Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies degree from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana and a Master of Architecture degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

After graduating from MIT, Paul returned to Chicago and worked on large scale architectural projects (Perkins & Will) and mid-scale architectural projects (Pappageorge Haymes) while simultaneously designing and fabricating functional objects in his garage then basement workshop.

Unable to shake dual interests of Architecture and functional object design, Paul joined Northbrook Illinois based Crate & Barrel/CB2. Crate & Barrel/CB2 provided experiences selling functional objects, designing the physical and virtual retail experiences within which functional objects are sold, and designing/fabricating functional objects for display and sale within the retail experiences designed by Paul and his Crate & Barrel teammates.

From fall of 2000 - Summer of 2016, Paul shared his Architectural and functional object design and fabrication experiences with students at the Illinois Institute of Technology. As Studio Associate Professor of Architecture Paul taught First Year Architectural Design studios, Introduction to the Architectural Profession courses and Functional Object Design and Fabrication courses emphasizing the relationship between functional objects and the buildings/cities within which design objects function.

Paul has won awards for both his teaching and functional object design. Paul’s work and the work of his students has been exhibited throughout the Chicago Metropolitan Area, the Midwest and can be found in permanent collections in various government offices throughout the United States.

Paul has been researching, writing and lecturing on the relationship between the hand and brain in the education of architecture and design students since the Spring of 2006.

Paul Pettigrew Architect projects can be found in numerous midwest locations. Products in Space functional objects can be found in homes and business throughout the United States and numerous locations worldwide.