Sarah Jacobson

As an Executive Director for the Lamar Johnson Collaborative (LJC), an architecture, design, and planning firm based in Chicago, Sarah provides extensive experience in both architecture and construction management. A licensed project architect, she has been involved in all aspects of project delivery from conceptual design through construction administration. Sarah has led teams on a variety of developments across the globe, including corporate buildings, hotels, civic and institutional facilities, and high rise, in both new construction and adaptive re-use. Sarah was named an ENR 2017 Top 40 Under 40, representing top young professionals making a significant impact on the industry. Sarah’s projects have won numerous awards including the ULI Global Award for Excellence, AIA Chicago Divine Detail Award and the Greater Chicago Food Depository Redevelopment of the Year.

As a founding member of Lamar Johnson Collaborative in 2017, Sarah has been integral in growing the firm from a start-up with six people, through a merger with Bates Forum in 2019, to the 200 person, multi-discipline, multi-city design firm it is today. In a male-dominated industry, Sarah leverages her leadership position to help increase the diversity of the architectural practice, at multiple levels – introducing high school students of color to the profession through mentorship and internships, looking for ways to partner with MBE and WBE firms in the community for skill sharing and skill growing opportunities, working with industry women’s leadership initiatives to increase the number of female leaders at the table. She is passionate about making sure that the field of architecture better reflects the community it serves.