DAAM, also known as DAAM Projects, is an award-winning professional design firm founded on the principles of collaboration and cross-disciplinary practice in the areas of Design, Architecture, Art and Making. Our mission is to advance creative thinking-and-doing in the built environment through a “hands-on” interactive approach to design. From neighborhood plans to building designs to custom joinery and details, the DAAM Team is committed to providing our clients, partners and community with innovative, resilient and beautiful solutions to meet each project’s set of unique challenges. We are dedicated to creating forward-looking work by listening carefully, researching actively, and embracing openly the ideas and objectives of every project’s team.

Our practice is organized as a design “atelier,” or open studio. This organization fosters design collaboration and allows our Principals to be personally involved in every phase of our projects. As a strategic “think-do” firm, our in-house prototyping capabilities and collaborative design process allows us to navigate the challenges of design innovation and be effective in bringing people together to realize a common goal. We enjoy working on projects where ideas are important, and problems are celebrated as opportunities for critical thinking and radical design.

Our diverse portfolio is unified by a singular conceptual approach. Each project explores relationships between architectural design, contemporary technology, local resources and functional use. Our interactive and integrated approach to constructing quality built places and things permeates our work at every scale. We believe that the physical structure and space of architecture should be born of a dynamic dialogue between its creators and its end users. Our goal is to create designs that express our clients’ programs, culture and mission and simultaneously reflect critically upon the important conditions of our times.

To that end, participatory design and ethical engagement tactics are indelibly woven into our work. Our team has extensive experience in guiding projects through collaborative review and approval processes involving multiple constituents and agencies. Over the past decade, we have proudly delivered custom-tailored design solutions that are flexible, functional and sustainable for private, public and institutional clients alike. Above all things DAAM is committed to delivering our clients with the best comprehensive design solution possible within a given project’s parameters.

Above all, we believe Design, Architecture, Art and Making are opportunities. They are a means of creating real asset value while providing essential resources to individuals, communities, neighborhoods and cities. Leveraging our creative and expertise to seize these opportunities is at the core of every DAAM Project.

DAAM is a Business Enterprise Program (BEP) certified Women-Owned Business Enterprise (WBE) recognized by both the City of Chicago and the State of Illinois. We are pre-qualified to provide design services for the Illinois Capital Development Board (CDB) and the City of Chicago’s INVEST South/West initiative.

Elyse Agnello, AIA, NCARB
Principal

Licensed Architect
The State of New York
The State of Illinois
NCARB Certified

American Institute of Architects
Member
Placemaking Leadership Council
Council Member
National Institute of Building Science
Public Interest Member

Harvard University, Cambridge
MArch
Architectural Association, London
PG Dip, Distinction
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
BS in Arch

William A. Doeble Fellowship 2013
Raoul Wallenberg Fellowship 2006

eagnello@DAAMprojects.com
full CV - click here
www.emade.space