IIT College of Architecture: Straddling Architecture, Real Estate, and Construction

The everchanging game of life can bring Illinois Institute of Technology College of Architecture graduates to far-flung industries, but Tim Anderson (B.ARCH. ’79) brings this unique expertise to his development and construction company, Focus.

Anderson founded Focus in 1993 as a real estate development and construction company. Focus does not have an in-house architect team, but his College of Architecture background allows him to actively join in the conceptual design phase of projects. Anderson can easily talk shop with the architecture firms that he hires. “By speaking the language of design, being able to read drawings, and really appreciating the work architects do, I am a much better communicator than the typical client,” Anderson says.

Chicagoans can see two of Focus’ latest buildings, The Parker and 167 Green, in the city’s Fulton Market neighborhood.

While Focus’s projects speak to creativity and expertise, Anderson is most proud of the company’s most important resource: its employees. “The goal of that culture is to create more honest relationships, which ultimately enables better communication, enhances collaboration, and results in greater creativity,” Anderson says.

Read the full story from IIT College of Architecture here.

To learn more about Focus or to discuss a project of your own, please contact us today.