Monica Willemsen is an Associate Principal and Senior Designer with SCB’s campus environments practice group. Since joining the firm in 2010, Monica has partnered with many higher education institutions to facilitate planning and design efforts that support each institution’s vision, mission, and goals. Most recently, Monica was the Senior Designer for the Academic and Residential Complex, a new 201,000-square-foot mixed-use building at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Monica is inspired by the impact the built environment can have on student success. With a diverse background, influenced by her childhood in Guatemala and early immersion in the arts, Monica’s unique design approach considers every design decision through the lens of the end user. Her designs draw from the geographic, social, and cultural context of each project to provide a singular sense of place. Monica is a proponent of sustainable design and is adept at developing high-performance design solutions that use leading technology to reduce energy use and mitigate negative effects on the environment.

Monica holds a Master of Architecture from the University of Washington in Seattle and a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing from the University of Arizona. She is a LEED Accredited Professional and a member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA).