Overview

En Masse is an architecture and design collective creating inspired surroundings for a well-lived life.

We build places that perfectly articulate our clients’ vision and intuitively meet their needs.

Our architecture — and our firm — are uniquely welcoming. Our designs take shape around real life, and deliver both refined function and undeniable style. From the collaborative way we create, to the inspiration we find in the world at large, the name says it all:

Let’s design En Masse.

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Historic Condo

A classic, 1920s vintage condo with a cerulean view finds balance between old and new, intimate and open, and learns to embrace the good life, after the kids are gone.

Timber Loft HQ

A timber loft headquarters brings a softer, more accessible feel to corporate office life, with bespoke design details that spark curiosity and offer people-first functionality.

Classic Loft

Creating true loft living — minus the visual clutter — was the challenge. The solution? A space that leans into a tightly edited materials palette to become something uniquely liveable, modern and serene.

We’ve reimagined how an architecture firm works. Starting with fostering collaborative relationships that bring everyone to the table, we navigate challenges and steer decisions with a steady hand and spot-on design instincts. We treat our clients as friends, which means we invest our time in getting to know them — allowing us to translate that trust and connection into perfect-fit designs.

Process

About

En Masse means “all together.” For us, that’s a reflection of the way work, and who we are.

Our studio is home to a tight-knit group of creative collaborators; we celebrate each other’s passions and lean into our diversity. The inspiration and creative energy that comes from bringing many points of view to our work and our lives allows us constant access to new ideas and helps us create spaces our clients fall in love with.

"It’s something that’s been rolling around forever, this concept of everything I’m interested in under one roof.”

-Mike Shively for Dwell Magazine

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On the boards

En Masse believes in valuing projects of all scales and styles, recognizing the unique challenges and opportunities that each one presents. This breadth of work is a testament to the diverse and talented teams we have assembled. We help to build a team around every project from client to craftspeople, fostering a community around each design project. From modern homes to historic renovations our process showcases our commitment to style and full-team involvement at every step of the way.

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Featured Project

Taking inspiration from our client’s love of their mountain retreat the En Masse team set about designing a rustic meets modern home fit for a set of empty nester’s with a passion for the outdoors and entertaining. Tailoring rustic elements and balancing them with sophisticated details allows this modern home to fit comfortably in with its stately North Shore streetscape.

Stay in touch

Our Studio

Our studio is on a lively stretch of California Avenue, in the city of Chicago. Tucked into a row of vintage greystone buildings, the En Masse Studio is designed as a visual juxtaposition, in conversation with its neighbors. Like all great homes, this one reflects the people inside, from the open-door welcome (yes, there’s a coffee bar!) to Mike’s inventive live/work solution that balances beauty and comfort in urban living.