About

Figure Ground was founded in 2016 by registered architect and Certified Passive House Consultant, Philip Schmidt. We have experience at all project scales in the Chicago area, from furniture design to large multi-family housing, institutional, and commercial projects, as well as Passive House sustainability consulting. Working with Landon Bone Baker Architects, Philip was the project architect on Chicago’s first new construction Passive House project, the recently completed Tierra Linda 6-Flat in Humboldt Park.

Our first major commission as an independent design firm was the office, studio, and retail store design for Field Notes, a world-famous, Chicago-based purveyor of well-designed notebooks and other beautiful design objects. This studio space, located in an old factory in Chicago’s West Loop, included custom furniture design, interior design, finishes, light fixture selection, and a custom kitchen design to create an elegant mix of old and new.