Episode Description

This episode from Beyond the Surface features Linda Chavez, a Principal at Future Firm in Chicago who focuses on designing civic and community-driven spaces. Linda shares her inspiring journey from Mexico to Chicago, reflecting on the challenges, resilience, and determination that shaped her path as both an architect and a community advocate.

Listen to Linda’s approach to socially conscious design and how her work merges architecture with storytelling, cultural identity, and empowerment. She discusses her philosophy of grounding design in human connection—creating environments that serve the people who inhabit them and foster a sense of belonging.

The episode highlights Linda’s advocacy for equitable access to design and her dedication to nurturing the next generation of architects, particularly women and immigrants. Her story illustrates how purpose-driven design can transform not only cities but also the communities that define them.

This episode offers valuable lessons in perseverance, representation, and the transformative power of design rooted in empathy and inclusion.