Studio

OUR STORY

Weese Langley Weese is a full-service architectural practice with a broad local client base. Organized to work intensely with the client to jointly discover the opportunities inherent in each project, Weese Langley Weese prides itself on a high level of service and attention to each project.

WLW is a small highly effective open architectural studio in the River North area involved in higher education and affordable housing on a wide range of projects including numerous historic structures and new affordable housing construction.

OUR TEAM

Dennis W. Langley AIA, Principal

Dennis Langley AIA received his Bachelor of Architecture degree from the University of Illinois at Champaign Urbana in 1970. After serving in the military, he worked for five years at two firms in the Chicago area, including a large AE firm. He joined Weese Langley Weese in 1978 and became a principal in 1992.

Current represented projects include North Avenue Phase III; affordable family housing that involved adding an additional floor into and existing loft; Grove Apartments, Affordable 1 bedroom apartments that included a historic 2 story addition to an Albert Kahn building; Southwick Apartments, a new construction fully accessible 40 unit building in Matteson, Illinois; Cicero George Apartments, a new construction, 6 story, 70 unit Senior Housing in Chicago, and Aurora St Charles Senior Hosing, an adaptive reuse and historic tax credit restoration of a former 1932 hospital into 64 senior units.

Numerous of his projects have received various awards from organizations such as the Chicago Chapter of the AIA, The National Trust for Historic Preservation and the Richard Driehaus Community Development Design Awards.

Daniel Towler Weese, AIA, Principal

Dan Towler Weese AIA has been with Weese Langley Weese since 1992. He received a Bachelor’s Degree from Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut, and a Master’s Degree from the School of Architecture at Yale University.

Major projects at Weese Langley Weese include: Chicago City Day School, Chicago, Illinois; South Loop Apartments, Chicago, Illinois; School of the Art Institute, Chicago, Illinois; Hanmee Presbyterian Church, Itasca, Illinois; Winnetka Congregational Church, Winnetka, Illinois; Ida Noyes Hall, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, Harris Hall Renovation and Expansion, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois. Dan is active in the Chicago Architecture Club and was the chair of the AIA Chicago Design Committee for 2002.

Richard Klein, AIA, Principal

Richard Klein AIA has been with Weese Langley Weese since 1986 and became an associate in 1996.  He graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Architecture degree from the University of Cincinnati in 1986. As a part of the coop program at the University of Cincinnati he completed internships with architecture firms of various sizes in Indianapolis; Baltimore; Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania; and Charleston, South Carolina.

Representative projects at Weese Langley Weese include many large scale affordable housing renovation projects, church renovation projects, museum renovation and planning projects, and numerous higher education projects.

Katherine Heinz, Associate

Katherine Heinz received both a Bachelor’s degree in Art History and a Master’s degree in Architecture from Washington University in St. Louis . Prior to her studies in architecture, she worked for the Art Institute of Chicago, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago and Phyllis Kind Gallery.

Katherine has been with Weese Langley Weese since 2004. Representative projects include Casa Kirk and Coppin House for Interfaith Housing, fully accessible housing in Matteson, IL and Waukegan, IL for Over the Rainbow Association, Branch of Hope affordable senior housing and Phase III of the North Avenue Redevelopment.

Nicol Zeller, AIA, Associate

Nicol Zeller AIA, LEED AP, joined Weese Langley Weese in 2014. She received her Bachelor’s of Science in Architectural Studies from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a Master’s of Education from the University of Illinois, Chicago.

After a short career as a teacher, Nicol worked for architectural firms in San Diego, CA and Chicago, IL. Since joining Weese Langley Weese, she has contributed to various project types including new construction and historic renovation affordable housing as well as higher education projects.

OUR AWARDS

2022

2022 IES Illumination Award

Award of Merit

Alice Millar Chapel at Northwestern University
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American School & University Educational Interiors Showcase

Outstanding Design – Exhibition Spaces/Galleries 

School of the Art Institute Galleries and Graduate Studios – 33 E Washington
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2020

2020 Landmarks Illinois Richard H. Driehaus Foundation

Preservation Award for Rehabilitation

The New Mark Twain >
0W8A0215

2019

Evanston Preservation Commission 2019 Preservation & Design Awards

Sensitive Addition/Alteration and Proper Rehabilitation/Restoration

 

Willard Hall Renovation – Northwestern University >
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Evanston Preservation Commission 2019 Preservation & Design Awards

Sensitive Addition/Alteration 

 

Goodrich Residence Hall Renovation – Northwestern University>
2

Evanston Preservation Commission 2019 Preservation & Design Awards

Proper Rehabilitation/Restoration

 

Phi Gamma Delta Renovation – Northwestern University >
4C4A6077

2018

College Planning & Management’s Education Design Showcase

Honorable Mention

 

Goodrich Residence Hall Renovation – Northwestern University>
1

2017

Charles L. Edson Tax Credit Excellence Award

Honorable Mention for Special Needs Housing

 

Midtown Crossing Apartments >
Midtown Crossing Apartments 9

Urban Land Institute Chicago Vision Award

Historic Art Deco Award

 

Aurora St. Charles Senior Living >
Aurora St. Charles Senior Living 25

Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Award

Award for Rehabilitation Landmarks Illinois

The Architect’s Newspaper

Best of Design Award

 

Aurora St. Charles Senior Living >
Aurora St. Charles Senior Living 24

2016

Urban Land Institute Chicago Vision Award

Affordable Housing Award

HardieDesign Contest, Honorable Mention

James Hardie, Inc.

 

Southwick Place >
Southwick Place 9

2015

Crombie Taylor Award

AIA Illinois

Chicago Neighborhood Development Awards

The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Award For Architectural Excellence in Community Design, Second Place

Preservation Award for Adaptive Reuse

Oak Park Historic Preservation Commission (2014)

Grove Apartments 14

The Polk Bros. Foundation Affordable Housing Preservation Award

As Awarded to Bickerdike Development Corporation

1704 N. Humboldt Renovation >
1

2012

City of Evanston

Preservation and Design Award, Honorable Mention for Environmental Design

1856 Orrington, Northwestern University >
1

City of Evanston

Preservation and Design Award, Honorable Mention for Environmental Design

Rogers House, Northwestern University >
1

Affordable Housing Finance

Readers’ Choice Award, Preservation Category

The Polk Bros. Foundation Affordable Housing Preservation Award

As Awarded to Mercy Housing Lakefront

Harold Washington Apartments >
1

2011

Affordable Housing Finance

Reader’s Choice Award, Green Category

Branch of Hope Apartments >
1

The Polk Bros. Foundation Affordable Housing Preservation Award

Malden Arms Apartments >
2

City of Evanston Margery E. Perkins

Award for Historic Preservation

Harris Hall at Northwestern University >
1

2007

Chicago Neighborhood Development Awards

The Chicago Community Trust Outstanding Community Strategy of the Year as awarded to Claretian Associates, Inc. for Southeast Chicago Community Building Initiative

Casa Kirk >
1

Chicago Neighborhood Development Awards

Special Recognition Award as awarded to St. Leonard’s Ministries

Michael Barlow Center >
ext01

2003

Chicago Neighborhood Development Awards

The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Award For Architectural Excellence in Community Design- Third Place

Rebecca Johnson Apartments >
1

2002

Friends of Downtown

Best Renovation Award

Allerton Building- Art Institute of Chicago >
1

AIA Chicago Design Excellence Awards

Distinguished Building Award

National Trust for Historic Preservation

National Preservation Honor Award

Wabash YMCA Renovation >
1

Fannie Mae Foundation Maxwell Awards of Excellence Program

Affordable Housing Design Award

South Loop Apartments >
1

2001

The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Awards

Landmarks Preservation Council of Illinois, Outstanding Private Leadership

 

Chicago Landmarks Award For Preservation Excellence

Landmarks Preservation Council of Illinois

 

Wabash YMCA Renovation >
1

Design Matters: Best Practices in Affordable Housing

City Design Center, College of Architecture and the Arts, University of Illinois at Chicago

 

Lakefront S.R.O. Leadership Award

Maxwell Awards of Excellence Program

 

South Loop Apartments >
3

Chicago Neighborhood Development Awards

The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Award For Architectural Excellence in Community Design – Second Place

Belray Apartments