About Us
About Us is Who We Are
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Educative Design®
For over twenty-five years in practice, Architecture Is Fun’s goal has been to achieve a dynamic architecture through leadership in educative design®. This educative design® ideology – design that educates as well as design that is fundamentally educated – is fulfilled through its participatory nature. Design educates by creating spaces for interactive play, learning, and self-discovery. Children and adults gain knowledge about themselves and the world around them in creative and innovative ways. Design is educated through interactions with the user constituents during the planning and prototyping process. Collaboration sessions held with local community members and creative sessions held with families help to educate the Architecture Is Fun design team…
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Peter Exley FAIA RIBA
Peter Exley, FAIA RIBA established an internationally recognized practice of architecture for children, families, and communities. His studio elevates the standards of design for public space, learning, and play environments. Peter is co-founder of Architecture Is Fun, a Chicago-based architecture, design, and consulting firm.
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Sharon Exley MAAE
Designer of influence, Sharon Exley MAAE Associate ASID directs colleagues, clients, and next generation talents to discover the fun in architecture. As a culture builder, author, and mentor, she shares the value of social engagement through design.
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Thought Leadership
Sharon Exley and Peter Exley bring creativity and thought leadership to their work, their mentorship, strategic planning, writing, and speaking. The playmakers and principals participate in national and local conferences, panel discussions, lectures, workshops, and exhibitions to share the educative process and notions of participatory design to the greater architectural, design, educational and industry-centric communities.
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Architecture Is Fun
Architecture Is Fun Makes Everyday Life FUN!We listen and engage with clients and communities to develop relevant public spaces and meaningful experiences.
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Speaker Engagements
Please Invite Us! Thank you for reaching out to us about speaker engagements. Please let us know if you would like the design duo of Sharon and Peter Exley to speak, or an individual member of the team. We also facilitate workshops on architecture, storytelling, creativity, public space, and sustainable cities of our future.
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Publications & Research
Architecture Is Fun makes everyday life fun. The studio’s ethos is based on the idea that architecture is one of the gateways to a more empathetic and equitable future. Sharon and Peter Exley believe making accessible places of learning, living, working, play, and fun to be indispensable for human growth and development. And they like to share these notions via Architecture Is Fun’s publications and research.
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We Are AIA Chicago Firm of the Year!
Architecture Is Fun named AIA Chicago Firm of the Year is honored for their commitment to FUN, collaboration and their designs for “deeply humanistic and courageous” projects.
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Awards & Accomplishments
Architecture Is Fun is 24. Our projects have been incredibly successful, winning many awards and accolades from diverse organizations and design communities, yet, we are prouder still of the measurable impact that our work has had on the lives of families and the communities they call home. For a complete Architecture Is Fun Awards & Accomplishment Listing, please download here: Architecture Is Fun Awards
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Legal Notice
The following is the legal notice for Architecture Is Fun: ArchitectureIsFun®, Educative Design®, Vitruvian Kid® and the Vitruvian Kid Logo are registered service marks owned by Sharon Exley and Peter Exley.
