Title: Managing Partner
Company: Hartshorne Plunkard Architecture
Location: Chicago, Illinois, United States
Sophie Bidek, managing partner at Hartshorne Plunkard Architecture, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Executives for dedication, achievements, and leadership in architecture.
With over two decades of experience in architecture, Ms. Bidek currently excels as managing partner at Hartshorne Plunkard Architecture, a position she has held since 2020, having been an equity partner since 2015, and previously serving as partner from 2013 to 2015 and firm member from 2003 to 2013. In her role, she manages the firm’s executive functions, including invoicing, billing, and overseeing a team of 20 architects, while also guiding professional staff development. Her expertise includes large, complex projects like the One Chicago Project, a 2.2 million square foot mixed-use, multi-tower development. She has also contributed to the design of a hotel featured at The Hotel Show and worked on adaptive reuse and historic preservation projects, including the conversion of the Shriner’s Clubhouse in Waco, Texas, into a 38-room boutique hotel.
Ms. Bidek has also made contributions to the field through her writing, including authoring “LaSalle Street Building a Thriving Future” for ULI Chicago in 2022 and “Conversions to Residential: Land Use and Architectural Issues to Consider” for Commercial Property Review in 2020. Additionally, she has been the board president for the CREW Career Program at CREW Chicago since 2011 and a volunteer mentor at Virginia Tech. In light of her impressive undertakings, she has been named among The Top 50 Women Leaders of Chicago for 2024 by Women We Admire, received the 2024 Design Award for Hotel 1928 from the Texas Society of Architects, earned the 2023 Design Excellence Award for One Chicago from AIA Chicago, and was recognized as one of Power Women in Chicago by Business in 2021. Additionally, she was honored as one of Notable Women in Construction and Design by Crain’s Chicago Business and received AIA Chicago’s 2018 Firm of the Year Award.
Ms. Bidek attributes her success to a combination of hard work, perseverance, preparedness, and the ability to seize opportunities while fearlessly stepping up to challenges. Looking to the future, she is committed to increasing the representation of women in leadership positions within the architecture and commercial real estate industries. She is dedicated to supporting this cause in every way possible, advocating for greater inclusion and diversity across these fields. In addition, she is eager to take on more engaging and ambitious large-scale mixed-use projects and to explore international opportunities. Her goal is to continue mentoring emerging professionals and to teach fundamental courses at architecture schools, helping to shape the next generation of architects and industry leaders.
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