Mike Shively
AIA, Founding Partner
LEED Accredited
Licensed in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Utah
Registered Energy Professional, Self-Certification with City of Chicago
“It’s my mission in life: Make life better through architecture.”
For Mike, En Masse represents the culmination of a lifelong passion for architecture. After founding Mike Shively Architecture in 2015, he began to refine the whole-team approach to architecture that would eventually result in En Masse.
“Building a firm is sort of like building a house,” he says, “except the parts are the people. You take the time to learn what their strengths are and build them up in the right part of the project so that they can realize that potential.”
Mike likes to think of En Masse as it relates to another passion of his: the band Phish. Both involve collaboration and creative improvisation resulting in intricately layered performances. Empowered, whole-team creativity informs Mike’s leadership and is synonymous with his approach to En Masse’s clients and projects: listening and collaborating come first, leading to design that makes daily life better.
Mike is a member of the American Institute of Architects and is licensed to practice in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Utah. He is a LEED accredited professional and is NCARB certified. He is active in the community of architects both nationally and locally, serving as co-chair of AIA Chicago Custom Residential Architect’s Network, a member of the Design Leadership Network, and a volunteer member of the Greater Goethe Neighborhood Association Zoning and Planning Committee. His extracurricular activities include traveling and camping, a connoisseur’s passion for coffee, and dog parenting his Scottie, Finland. He makes his home in an En Masse design, the firm’s Logan Square live-work headquarters, with his partner, Bryce Sprosty.
Lucas Goldbach
AIA, Partner + Design Director
Licensed in Illinois
“Creativity is a big part of who I am, and it's how I approach every day, actively seeking inspiration.”
Lucas’s first interest in Architecture began on a childhood visit to Frank Lloyd Wright’s masterwork, Fallingwater: “It blew my mind that this is what a house could be.”
That spark persisted throughout an education and early career filled with artistic and creative pursuits: participating in a design-build workshop in Ghana as an honors undergraduate student at Miami University; and exploring Modernism, design psychology and the visual nature of urban life for his master’s thesis and a featured exhibition at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. His career in architecture began at Chicago firms Morgante-Wilson Architects and Massey Associates Architects.
For Lucas, En Masse represents the art in architecture, and a creative practice fueled by collaboration and a healthy sense of humor. He injects art and artisanship into every facet of the firm’s work, from signature hand-drawn renderings to bespoke finishing details. As a creative leader, he consistently challenges himself and the En Masse team to reach for the idea, the detail, the solution that not only understands the style and essence of a building, but how to break the rules in inspired fashion.
“Creativity thrives through having engaged partners who push back and layer on more ideas.”
Building relationships — with colleagues, clients and the community — is a cornerstone of Lucas’ practice. He is the co-chair of the AIA Chicago LGBTQ Alliance, participates as a mentor in the IIT Wing program and was named a 2020 Notable LGTBQ Executive by Crain’s Chicago Business. When he’s not working, Lucas splits his time between homes in Chicago’s Logan Square and Michigan with his partner, Nick Bernard, trains for marathons and never misses a chance to get in a game of volleyball.
Ross Renjilian
Associate, Senior Architect
“At En Masse, we look to use design as a tool to create community and better environments for our clients.”
Ross leads En Masse’s commercial division, making sure projects get from start to finish while also being involved in design, communication, and coordination between the team, the client, and the contractors. He loves coffee, good food, and his dog, and spends his free time sailing and going on urban adventures.
His work in the commercial space brings fresh perspectives to commercial clients, and he finds that every day working at En Masse brings interesting and unique challenges to the table.
Jacob Miklasz
Architectural Designer
Brett Rosengren
Architectural Designer
“Architecture is something that everyone encounters — it impacts all our lives on a daily basis.”
Jacob capably facilitates effective coordination and communication between teams involved in a project, focusing on details to make sure each project achieves a functional end result while staying true to its architectural vision. He also takes on training of new hires and junior staff, instilling everything he’s learned working with the En Masse team for the past four years as well as his belief that meaningful, functional design is each designer’s responsibility.
In his free time, he enjoys video games, photography, and cycling, and keeps busy with projects around his house.
“Architecture defines how movement and emotion will be perceived throughout a space and the environment around us.”
Brett takes on the task of discussing design intent with clients and producing drawing documents and visuals to refine every project. He loves his dog Opal, cooking, baking, and all sorts of great food, and most enjoys working on single family homes.
His favorite moment in a project is when the initial sketches are filled in with details, every person on the team joining in to collaborate and find solutions that will make the space beautiful and cohesive. Brett was drawn to architecture by the opportunity to work with homeowners to give them personalized design beyond what they may be able to imagine for themselves.
Paul Chaca
Architectural Designer
“People should take ownership of their space and shape it to their needs.”
Paul likes to call himself “the laid back guy in the office,” but the En Masse team also knows him as a devoted assistant project manager who works to refine the details on each project to ensure the entire process runs smoothly. His father involved him in household projects from a young age, helping Paul find his love for customizing spaces to people’s needs. In his free time, he loves biking, woodworking, playing sets as a DJ, and watching sports.
Yesha A. Mody
Architectural Designer
Henry Brereton
Architectural Designer
“Architecture has a direct influence on the human experience and has the ability to promote connection and a sense of community in a variety of ways.”
Henry works with visualization of design, such as 3D modeling, finish selections, and researching reference images that inform design inspiration. His favorite part of his job is the opportunity to create thoughtful additions to historic structures, modernizing homes while celebrating their older elements. In his free time, Henry enjoys photography, biking along the lakefront, beach volleyball, thrifting, and live music.
“ Most of all, I enjoy trying and learning different design process while translating ideas into something tangible. “
Originally from India, Yesha completed her Masters in Interior Architecture from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. On the En Masse team, Yesha work on various commercial and residential projects. She also helps with design visualization using 3D softwares and model making along with building material pallets for various projects.
Yesha takes pride in being a life long learner, constantly learning from people and resources around her. Outside of work, she takes interest in Formula 1 racing, music, and dance, exploring the relationship between movement and communication.
Morgan Peterson
Architectural Designer
Madison Burman
Studio Manager
Lisa Cook
Accountant
“Similar to people, all spaces we occupy have a personality and character that affect how we feel and act. “
Morgan supports all phases of design and construction at En Masse. While he mainly focuses on new build residential projects he also works on the renovation team.
Morgan is a tactile designer, and enjoys building relationships with clients and working together to understand what kind of spaces work best for their style of living. In his free time, he has interest in furniture building, ceramics, textile weaving, watercoloring, sculpture, and sewing, and enjoys zipping around Chicago on his bike, checking out the local house music scene.
“Considered, long-lasting, and aware design is one of the artistic solutions to uniting our city.”
Madison keeps everything running smoothly in the office, while also planning for events, communications needs, and meetings. She loves Chicago and urban studies, and is currently enrolled at Northwestern University, pursuing a degree in social science.
In her free time, she is a mixed media artist, writes creative non-fiction, and experiments with new recipes. She works closely with clients, vendors, and staff to help the other members of the team to do their jobs in the most efficient way possible.
“Environments that speak to me just lift me up, whether it be buildings, rooms or nature.”
Lisa takes care of the financial side of En Masse’s business so that the team can devote more time to clients. Though she works remotely most of the time, she’s an enthusiastic attendee of events and meetings at the studio, where she can mingle with coworkers and clients face-to-face.
Lisa loves being outside, walking and hiking, and is a frequent visitor at the Chicago Botanic Garden. She has a strong appreciation for how people can be affected by their environments, and enjoys being able to work with En Masse to make it possible for the team to create positive spaces for their clients.