Janelle Zola

Janelle is a results-driven designer bringing forth nearly a decade of experience in the field of architecture. Born and raised in the South Suburbs of Chicago, she was inspired by the abundance of architecture, art, and culture of her beloved city. She attended the Illinois Institute of Technology in the Bronzeville neighborhood of Chicago before transferring to the University of Southern California in Los Angeles – where she graduated with a Bachelor of Architecture in 2010.

Janelle lived on the West Coast in California and on the Gulf Coast in Texas before returning to her hometown of Chicago in 2016. She has an extensive background in design, development, production, and supervision involvement on a variety of project types ranging from small to large in scale including: ecclesiastical, education, general municipal, mixed-use, transit, and recreation for clients such as Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA), City Colleges of Chicago, Metra, the Public Building Commission of Chicago (PBC), and more.

She is a self-proclaimed “Big Kid” at heart, and loves cartoons, all things Disney, and dessert. (And dogs, too!) When she’s not spending quality time with family and friends, she’s either losing herself in a book, racking up her video game trophy count, lacing up her shoes to go for a run along the lakefront, or honing her physical and mental abilities through kickboxing and self-defense classes.