Ivan Kutlesa and Manuel Hernandez first met in 1988.
It was the 2nd year of architecture school at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Collaborating on school team projects they became good friends and gained a mutual respect for each other’s talents. After graduating in 1992, their respective careers took them both onto separate paths of distinction and accomplishment.
Ivan Kutlesa went on to work at Warman Olsen Warman Architects, RGI Architects, Inc. and OWP/P Architects. Manuel Hernandez worked for Shah Engineering, Inc. and Elias G. Pappageorge Architects. They both distinguished themselves quickly as leaders in their field and were promoted in their respective firms.
In 2001, not long after becoming a licensed architect, Ivan Kutlesa ventured out on his own and IK + Associates opened it’s doors. It was then that he sought out his former classmate and friend Manuel Hernandez and once again, they were collaborating on many new projects. Their separately acquired skills now came together and complimented each other in the new firm of kutlesa/hernandez architects, inc.
Today, kutlesa/hernandez architects has grown and developed into a well-respected and diverse practice. Their hard work, commitment and personal attention to every aspect of the project has attracted a larger client base. The firm’s architectural practice is based on a strong combined design sensibility that holds at its core, the client’s budget and program.