A collaborative and empathetic leader in SOM’s Chicago studio, Mark Nagis champions an approach to design rooted in team building and mentorship, characterizing his design process as an ongoing, collective conversation between designers, clients and consultants. Mark’s expertise ranges from large-scale mixed-use projects, to life sciences, commercial and hospitality, as well as the applications of parametric design and digital technology in architecture.
Mark’s project work includes the Bronzeville Innovation Center, a new hub for healthcare innovation and a cornerstone of the Bronzeville Lakefront master plan, an expansive lakeshore site on Chicago’s South Side. He also led the design for the adaptive reuse of Cook County Hospital, transforming a severely dilapidated former hospital and Beaux-Arts landmark into a vibrant, mixed-use hub for the surrounding community.
Designing a building is an ever-evolving conversation. It is an iterative process that is only enriched by crowdsourcing ideas from all corners–experienced and emerging designers alike, clients, consultants, and the community members who will one day use the space.
Mark has taught at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Illinois Institute of Technology, and the University of Illinois Chicago, advancing education and research in the applications of digital technology. A strong advocate for the power and potential of design learning, he frequently serves as a guest critic and lecturer, and mentors highschool students through AIA’s Mentorship Program.
