our studio

Our mission is to design unique, modern spaces by skillfully navigating complex environments and building relationships through trust and reputability.

34-TEN is an award winning architecture firm located in a comfortable storefront office in Chicago’s Avondale neighborhood.

Our experience includes a range of residential project types, furniture, and commercial interiors. We are always seeking new challenges. If you’re pondering a project, please tell us about it. We’d be delighted to listen and help you find a way to bring it to fruition.

ABOUT

While attending school, our founder, Josh, found himself drawn to a particular building on campus. This wasn't the most aesthetically pleasing building, most quiet, or most crowded. On the contrary, this architecture was candid, honest, and casual. This space offered him an opportunity to lean in to the gritty nature of how buildings change with time while keeping a focus on the era it was created in. He would often go to this building to study, get away from the hustle culture of architecture school, and be inspired as he looked to the future. The address for this building was marked with the numbers "3410."

The values that inspired Josh at school remain, as 34-TEN strives to be a place where clients and architects alike can dream to shape new and reclaimed spaces as accessible environments that continue to inspire our everyday lives.

story

we are driven by accessibility, innovation, and sustainability.

josh hutchison

Josh Hutchison founded 34-TEN in 2015 with an intention to make as big an impact as possible for his clients. His innate DIY ethos brings value and resourcefulness to his projects, ensuring that incredible outcomes happen with the amount of resources available. He is committed to solving design problems and pushing a project through its natural evolution.

Before starting the firm, Josh worked on high-rise residential design projects at Solomon Coldwell Buenz and Adrian Smith+Gordon Gill, and cut his teeth working on historic buildings and rehabilitations while working for developers Friedman Properties and Shapack Development. He has experience in all scales of residential projects and commercial tenant improvement work, including office space, retail, and restaurants.

His experience working as a licensed real estate broker for four years also gave him useful insight into how to find value through design and work within the constraints of a clients’ budgets. Josh holds a Master of Architecture degree from the Illinois Institute of Technology and a BA in Architectural Studies from the University of Washington in Seattle.

In his free time, Josh chases his two young daughters around, and experiments with homemade spirit infusions and tinctures in search of the perfect cocktail.

    • Licensed Architect – State of Illinois

    • Licensed Architect – State of Michigan

    • Enrolled in the City of Chicago’s Self-Certification Program

    • NCARB certified

    • Member – American Institute of Architects

    • LEED Accredited Professional – U.S. Green Building Council

jarrett jespersen

Jarrett Jespersen is an experienced designer focused on Chicago-area residential renovations, de-conversions, and new construction. He uses his responsive design sensibility and technical understanding of the construction process to help projects successfully move from the initial design phase through construction.

Fortunately for 34-TEN and our clients, Jarrett has become intimately familiar with the quirks of early 1900s Chicago 2-flats, their rear wood-frame additions and common brick exterior, bay windows, and bearing walls over the past five years. He brings this experience and his time in the trades to the firm, where he enjoys designing thoughtful solutions that listen to these old buildings while meeting our clients’ needs for today.

A Chicago native, Jarrett previously worked at Studio Gang Architects on projects ranging from luxury, residential towers to urban plans, and a small firm where he focused on designing sustainable strategies in an urban fabric. He holds a B.Arch degree from the Illinois Institute of Technology and is currently working on his architecture licensure.

In his spare time, Jarrett enjoys being outside as much as he can, whether that’s biking or hiking through the Daniel Burnham-designed park system or drinking beer and chatting with friends on a local bar patio.

    • Member – American Institute of Architects