About

As President of J. Hershey Architecture, John M. Hershey, AIA, LEED AP oversees all aspects of the firm including client relations and design. John has expertise in residential design and zoning variances; as well as, property condition assessments and reserve studies. He has performed architectural design, construction monitoring and consulting services throughout the United States. A significant number of his residential design projects can be found in Northern Illinois. John also enjoys working with clients with an interest in unique restaurants or retail spaces. Our Libertyville office practices many of the concepts as illustrated in the Not So Big House series of books. Sustainable design techniques are considered in all projects.

Mr. Hershey determined at an early age that he wanted to be an Architect and began working for an Architect in Upstate New York while in High School. Subsequent to graduating with his Bachelor in Architecture from Illinois Institute of Technology he worked for various sized firms including James March Goldberg Architects in Lake Forest and Teng & Associates in Chicago. In 2000 John launched JMH Architects, Inc. which focused on custom residential and unique commercial projects in Lake County and along the North Shore. In 2005 he merged the firm with a national architectural and engineering firm. While remaining as President of JMH Architects he was also the Director of Development and a Principal of the parent company. In 2009 he sold his portion of the company to begin J. Hershey Architecture.

In addition to his company responsibilities, Mr. Hershey has a strong interest in supporting the local community. He contributes housing designs and consulting to the local chapter of Habitat for Humanity. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the GLMV Chamber of Commerce and the Affordable Housing Commission of Lake County. John has led seminars for the Chicago Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, the GLMV Chamber of Commerce, the Community Association Institute (CAI), and the Association of Condominium, Townhouse and Homeowner Associations (ACTHA).

Mr. Hershey is a member of the local and national chapters of the American Institute of Architects, the Affordable Housing Corporation of Lake County, and is a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Accredited Professional. In 2009 construction was completed on one of the first Homes in Illinois to become LEED certified for its energy efficiency. Not only is this home environmentally friendly, the construction cost was affordable. Additional projects designed by Mr. Hershey may be seen in a 2007 published book, Dream Homes – Chicago.