Founding Principal
Weese Langley Weese
Cynthia Weese FAIA is a founding principal of Weese Langley Weese. She received her undergraduate and graduate degrees from Washington University in St. Louis. Upon graduation she established a private practice and also worked at Joe Karr and Associates, Landscape Architects and Harry Weese and Associates. In 1977 she joined her husband Ben in founding Weese Langley Weese. Her projects at the firm include Chestnut Place Apartment Tower, Chicago, F. W. Olin classroom Building, Luther College, Decorah IA, Kraft General Foods Education Center at the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago City Day School and recently work at the University of Chicago and Northwestern University. Her work has received many awards and been widely published and exhibited. She has lectured nationally and internationally and been on numerous competition and awards juries.
From 1993-2005 she returned to Washington University as professor and dean of the School of Architecture; she was the first woman to be dean of a school at that institution. During her tenure she initiated many international programs, introduced computer initiatives and enhanced both the technology and design curricula. She was also active in the process of planning and realizing two new buildings which, with three renovated existing buildings, create an arts campus.
She received a Distinguished Alumni Award from the University and the Dean’s medal from the Sam Fox School.
Cynthia has been active in the AIA, serving as President of AIA Chicago and vice president of the national AIA Board. She was a founding member of Chicago Women in Architecture and the Chicago Architectural Club and served as president of the latter. She served on editorial advisory board of the Harvard Design Magazine and the visiting committee for the MIT School of Architecture and Planning. She currently serves is a member of the National Council of the Sam Fox School of Design at Washington University and is on the Board of Directors for the Charnley Perskey House home of the Society of Architectural Historians.
In 2017 she received the inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award of Chicago Women in Architecture. She has since been honored by the Society of Architecture Historians for Design, Leadership and Service. In 2023 AIA Chicago gave her their Lifetime Achievement Award.