MAS Studio

About Us

MAS Studio is an architecture and design studio based in Chicago with a focus on residential, commercial, civic, and cultural projects. The experience and skill of each partner allows the studio to deliver unique design solutions that are thoughtful, innovative, and carefully crafted. Founded in 2006 by Iker Gil with the curation and design of the exhibition Synchronizing Geometry at the Mies van der Rohe-designed S.R. Crown Hall at IIT, the studio develops its work with an emphasis on built work, exhibitions, research, and publications. Some of the recent work of MAS Studio includes several unit renovations in Bertrand Goldberg’s iconic Marina City, the artistic intervention Geometry of Light (in collaboration with Luftwerk); co-curating Exhibit Columbus 2020–2021 and being the associate curator of Dimensions of Citizenship, the US Pavilion at the 2018 Venice Architecture Biennale; designing the websites for Rojkind Arquitectos (with Normal) and Schweikher House (with Segura), and co-editing the books Radical Logic and Art in Chicago Neighborhoods as part of Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) “Year of Public Art.” In 2009, the studio started the nonprofit organization MAS Context in order to instigate the conversation about the built environment through the active participation of people from different fields and different perspectives. MAS Context takes its content into formats such as publications, lectures, art installations, and exhibitions. In 2024, architects Julie Michiels and Jacob Chartoff joined the firm as partners. They bring over twenty years of experience each, leading interdisciplinary teams and working on residential, commercial, institutional, cultural, and educational projects of diverse scales and complexity. Julie has extensive experience developing innovative yet timeless design solutions from the inside out. Meanwhile, Jacob has developed a well-rounded career that includes design, technical expertise, management, and administration. Together they have worked closely with public and private clients on a wide range of projects, including private residences, multiple award-winning projects at 800 Fulton Market in Chicago, and on the interior renovation of Vanderbilt University’s iconic 150-year-old Kirkland Hall.