Stephanie Mateus, LEED AP

Passionate about design since her childhood back in Colombia, where she was born and raised. Growing up, she was exposed to architecture from a very young age as her family comes from a long line of creative professionals. At 15 years old, she had the opportunity to be involved in the design and construction of her family home. Of course, taking daily trips to the construction site and seeing the progress became part of her most dear memories. After several moves back and forth from Colombia to the United States and after graduating high school she decided to pursue her passion of one day becoming an architect and designer. She attended the Architecture School at Florida International University and graduated in 2004, just a couple of weeks before moving to Chicago. Little did she know, this city would provide her with a sense of “home” like she had never experienced before. Here is where she made her dreams come true - where she got the opportunity to flourish as a designer while working with amazing people in the hospitality industry. For the first six years of her professional career, she worked with Aumiller Youngquist and Gettys Group. During this time, she had the honor to work side-by-side with seasoned architects and designers who taught her a lot of the principles she embraces today - honoring your client’s vision and needs, respecting the budget, and always striving for the best result with the greatest impact. In 2010, she joined Aria Group Architects - a place where she not only found her dream job but where she gained a family. During her seven years there she grew from an architectural intern to a senior designer, from a design “aficionado” to a mom of two. These years have impacted her life in a way she could have never anticipated. She learned that the best work comes from a collaborative environment - both in her professional and personal life. In 2017 she decided it was time to pursue her ultimate dream - a creative studio of her own, a legacy to leave behind for her family. She could not have accomplished this if it had not been for the support of her Aria family. Since then, she has been collaborating with this family on several projects in a variety of scales and needs. As she continues to build this creative studio, she would like to help in the weaving of the fabric of this city as it has become and will always be considered “home”.