Jason Fisher designs buildings and masterplans that advance a civic idea of architecture, creating places that serve their communities and strengthen connections to their surroundings. He leads a design studio in SOM’s Chicago office, working across scales, building types, and geographies around the world.
His civic approach to design shapes projects ranging from the expansion of the public library in his hometown of Appleton, Wisconsin, to the adaptive reuse of an industrial district in Shanghai and the masterplan for Chicago’s Lincoln Yards. Across his work, Jason explores how architecture can be a good neighbor, create welcoming public spaces, and contribute to vibrant urban districts.
I believe in the power of strong, simple ideas, rigorously pursued. Through clarity of organization, collaboration across disciplines, and thoughtful exploration, architecture can be both coherent and dynamic. For me, every design decision has purpose, and the integrity of the idea carries through from the largest organizational gesture to the smallest detail.
He combines advanced digital and AI tools with high-performance design strategies, integrating responsive systems at Alibaba’s Shanghai headquarters and geothermal energy at Wisconsin’s Mulva Cultural Center. His current work extends these interests to a manufacturing campus integrated with nature for Rivian in Georgia, a library renovation north of Chicago, and supertall structures designed to store renewable energy.
Jason brings this breadth of experience to his teaching in the Illinois Institute of Technology’s Master of Tall Buildings and Vertical Urbanism program, exploring how tall buildings can contribute to the life of the city.
