Zoka Zola was born in Rijeka, Croatia.
Zola holds a Master of Architecture degree from University at Zagreb and a Master degree from the Division of Humanities at the University of Chicago.
Zola is a licensed architect in Illinois, USA, UK and Croatia.
After completing her studies of architecture at the University of Zagreb, she moved to Rome and worked for two years at the studios of Prof. De Feo, Prof. Francesco Cellini and Prof. Paolo Portoghesi. She left Rome to study at The Architectural Association in London. After apprenticing at a number of well-known architectural studios, Zola established her own studio in London designing small public projects and restaurants, while teaching as Senior Lecturer at the Oxford Brookes University at Oxford and as Unit Master at the Architectural Association in London. In 1997, Zola moved to Chicago where she first realized the Pfanner House. The house won the Home of the Year Award as the best house in North America by Architecture magazine and was included in “American Masterworks - Houses of the 20th and 21st centuries” by Kenneth Frampton as one of 43 houses built in USA in the last 140 years. Her practice’s other work includes three zero energy houses (one in Chicago and two in Kuala Lumpur), a solar tower in Chicago, a Web 2.0 open source web site, an urban plan for the entire city of Chicago, a number of prototypes for residential and educational buildings, a zero-energy training center with hostel in South China, and most recently the realization of a winning competition proposal for affordable housing in Croatia. In Chicago, Zola taught architecture at The School of the Art Institute and the University of Illinois in Chicago, and she is currently teaching at the Illinois institute of Technology. Zola’s work is published and exhibited in numerous venues and publications on five continents. 
Photographer: Varakan Ten Tipprapa
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studio
professional affiliations
Architect licensed in Illinois USA, UK and European Union, and Croatia
NCARB Certified (eligible for licenses throughout USA)
Member of American Institute of Architects (AIA)
AIA Committee on the Environment (COTE) 2007-2008
Member of Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA)
RIBA-USA Mid-West Chapter
chairwoman 1999-2009
LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environment Design) Accredited Professional
Chicago Energy Conservation Certified Professional
Metcalf Internship Program, University of Chicago
comments from clients
--"Zoka Zola Architecture + Urban Design
--was a pleasure to work with: good listeners
--who are observant, very creative,
--principled in method, and dependable."
Stephen Ostrander, Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning
--"...I wanted to thank you for the fabulous
--work you did on our Sheridan Road project.
--We were very impressed."
Courtney Owen, Rogers Park Business Alliance
--"Their work was inspiring, their
--presentations to the client were effective,
--and their attitude highly professional. ...It is
--worth noting that the office staff at Zoka
--Zola Architecture + Urban Design is very
--professional, easy to work with and
--exhibiting traits of a highly effective design
--office."
Vuk Vujovic, Legat Architects
--"Zoka listened carefully to my and my
--husband's needs and desires, offering
--solutions that were so much more then we
--expected. ...Throughout the process they
--anticipated all necessary steps,
--coordinating the entire team seamlessly
--and effectively and conducted throughout
--construction examinations of all the work
--with a scroupulous attention to detail. Their
--investment and interest in bringing together
--all elements of the project seemed
--effortless from their side, making the
--process effortless and pleasurable for us,
--as their clients."
Laura Letinsky,Professor at University of Chicago
--"Through Zoka's patience and insight she
--achieved a spectacular design solution
--within a limited budget. She worked
--extremely well within the exhibition team,
--taking on board practical problems, yet
--keeping her vision clear, simple and
--striking... Her quiet confidence and
--assured calm ensured a much praised end
--result. The secret of her success was
--attention to detail, precise time and
--materials management, direct and frequent
--communication and clear expression of
--concept. These qualities are topped with a
--wry sense of humor."
Dr Helen Clifford, curator of the 20th Century Silver exhibition
--"Zoka's innovative and elegant solution
--fulfilled a very exacting brief beautifully.
--Her professionalism ensured both that the
--project was completed on budget and
--within very tight schedule, and that her
--artistic vision was maintained, whilst
--achieving the rigorous standards of
--security and environmental control for the
--objects."
Linda Theophilus, Head of the Exhibitions and Collection at the Crafts Council
location
1737 w ohio street chicago IL 60622
t 312 491 9431
e info@zokazola.com
If you wish to join us
Please send five to twenty pages (via e-mail, pdf format, not to exceed 8MB) illustrating a range of your work, including your resume and references to
dorothea.schulz@zokazola.com
Attn: Dorothea Schulz
Your experience in our office will qualify as an internship for the EU licenses or IDP in USA.
Web Design Credits:
Information Design: Conrad Newman
Interaction and Visual Design: Conrad Newman, Rick Hoobler, Zoka Zola, Tanja Reiche, Manuela Koelke
Web Development: Josh Campbell
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reviews
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--""This beautiful, authoritative book celebrates great American residential
--"design. Its wide-ranging content highlights the most important works by
--"the influential architects of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.
--"Presented are approximately forty-five icons of modern architecture….
--"First published in 1995, this expanded and updated edition includes twelve
--"important additions to the canon. Works by a new generation of influential
--"architects include Zoka Zola’s award-winning Pfanner House…. It is the
--"ultimate compendium of great American house design.”
Editorial Review, American Masterworks: Houses of the 20th and 21st Century by Kenneth Frampton
--""The Pfanner House is a modern commentary upon the rich legacy of
--"Chicago architecture."
Gwendolyn Wright, Professor at Colombia University
--""new powerful work"
--""...helps define what it means to be "at home" in our complicated world
- a delightful windfall...";
--"objective of our selection is to communicate to the public what
--architecture - good architecture - is about.
--"startlingly different study in North American domestic condition"
--"[It] elevates our discourse about the places where we live"
--"[It] challenges our preconceptions and prejudices about the home, yet [it
--is] so remarkably budget conscious product that can seduce a broad
--consuming public... showing how high design breeds high value."
Jury of Home of the Year Award 2003 (of North America)
--""The building [award winning Raflessia House, in Kuala Lumpur] is unique
--in that it is an answer to the climate conditions, much like the traditional
--Kampong House of Malaysia, but it also takes sustainable design into the
--21st century and contributes to the legacy of architecture."
The New York Times
--""There were real delights; however perhaps none greater than Croatian-
--"born, London educated Zoka Zola's first building, the Pfanner House,
--"where she and her family live in Chicago. Subtle, sophisticated and
--"wonderfully scaled."
The Sunday Times, (UK)
"When I think of Croatia, I think of fantastic Architect Zoka Zola who does great things in Chicago."
Angela Brady, President of RIBA
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publications
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jutarnji list, (Croatia) August 2013
Interview with RIBA President Angela Brady
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e-architect (UK) June 28th, 2013
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eVolo (USA) January 10th, 2013
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e-architect (UK) January 4th, 2013
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Archipendium 2013 - architecture, (Germany/ International) November 2012
link to order from archipendium
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INA - International New Architecture, (China) August 2012
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Chicago Reader, (USA) December 2011
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Summa+, (Spain) October 2011
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Chicago Architect, (USA) August 2011
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a+a, (Mexico) August/September 2011
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Domus China, (China), May 2011
Brendan McGetrick's interview with Zoka Zola
link to article in English on domusweb.it
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CS Interiors, (USA) Spring 2011
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a+a, (Mexico) April/ May 2011
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Wallpaper*, (UK), July 2010
link to wallpaper Architects Directory 2010
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Growing Urban Habitats, (USA), 2009
seeking a new housing development model
link to william stout books
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Chicago Architect, October, 2009
--contemporary house plans go online
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Architecture Now! Green Architecture
June 2009
Taschen
link to amazon
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Chicago Tribune, May 31, 2009
Blueprints with a sustainable vision
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Chicago Magazine, (Chicago), May 2009
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Architecture Plus, issue 21, (international) 2009
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American Masterworks
Houses of the Twentieth & Twenty-first Centuries
Oct 2008
link to amazon
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Chicago Tribune Magazine, (USA), October 19, 2008
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Vecernji list, (Croatia), October 15, 2008
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Novi List, (Croatia), September 1, 2008
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Novi List, (Croatia), August 19, 2008
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Tasarim, (Turkey), Issue 182/June 2008
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Live/Work, Deborah K. Dietsch, 2008
link to amazon
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Pol Oxygen, (Australia), Issue 26/2008
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Mark, (Amsterdam), April/May 2008
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The New York Times, (USA national paper), April 6th 2008
Chicago Life
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Domino, (USA), March 2008
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Design + Architecture, (Singapore), February 2008
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Dwell, (USA), November 2007
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International Houses Atlas, Casey C.M. Mathewson, 2007
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The New 100 Houses x 100 Architects, Robyn Beaver, 2007
link to amazon
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Architectural Record, (USA), March 2007
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Business POV - video stories about Chicago innovators
5 minute video
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World Changing, a users guide for the 21st century, Abrams, New York
with a foreword by Al Gore, November 2006
2 page feature
link to amazon
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Product News, (USA) July/August 2006
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Great Chicago Places & Spaces, May 2006
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2A Architecture and Art, (Dubai), forthcoming
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Contemporary Design in Detail: Sustaianable Environments, (USA), forthcoming
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Archiworld, (Korea), April 2006
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Interior Digest, (Russia), May 2006
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Diseno Interior, (Spain), April 2006
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Chicago Home, (USA), Spring 2006
"Practical Visionary"
"You want a house that is a work of art, that expresses an opinion about space, home, privacy, and intimacy. You also want it to accommodate your child, your dog, your office, and your heating budget. Go to Zoka Zola."
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25 Houses, Harper Collins, 2005
link to amazon
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Hauser, (Germany), November 2005
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Crain's Chicago Business, September 26th 2005
--Chicago area's 20 Coolest Homes
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Jerwood Applied Arts Prize 2005: Metal
--Zoka Zola in conversation with Helen Clifford
--Creative Relationships: An Architect's Point of View
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Chicago Reader, Section: Our Town, September 16th 2005
--"The two make a cute couple - though he is about a hundred years older
--than she is. (Typical)"
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teNeues, CHICAGO architecture & design guide
link to amazon
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Fox TV Chicago News - 9.00pm - June 23rd 2005
--News report about the Zero Energy Home
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Oris Ideja, (Croatia, Austria), 2005
--Excerpt from Zoka's sketchbook as part of a traveling exhibition.
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Architecture, (USA), May 2005
--The Open House and the Three-Week Utopia
--"Architects from emerging firms discuss the promises and perils of
--design leadership - and see light at the end of the tunnel."
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Focus, (USA), May 2005
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Architecture, (USA), April 2005
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The Sunday Times, (UK), November 2004
--"There were real delights; however perhaps non greater than Croatian-
--born, London educated Zoka Zola's first building; the Pfanner House;
--where she and her family live in Chicago. Subtle, sophisticated and
--wonderfully scaled, it was named House of the Year in North America in
--2003."
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Detail, (China), October 2004
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Casabella, (Italy), October 2004
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Chicago Tribune, (USA national Paper), August 1st 2004
Quoted in article about solar energy
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RIBA Journal, (UK), August 2004
Photos of ZZ at RIBA's trip to China
RIBA Journal, (UK), July 2004
Photo of ZZ as part of RIBA-China Delegation
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Oris, (Croatia), July 2004
--"... this architecture as safeguard of our critical conscience."
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Architecture, (USA), June 2004
"On the Boards" section, Mixed Use Development
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Chicago Tribune, (USA national paper), December 2003 holiday issue
Sunday paper
--"[the Pfanner House is] a modern commentary upon the rich legacy of
--Chicago architecture"
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Architecture, (USA), 2003
Pfanner House won the Home of the Year 2003 Award (of North America) by Architecture magazine
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RIBA Journal, (UK), December 2003
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Architecture, (USA), November 2003
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recent and forthcoming lectures
"Taking the Next Step", panel discussion at University of Chicago, (USA), January 7th 2012
The Freedom of the City: Models of Urban Engagement & Creativity in the 21st Century, conference at SMU Meadows School of the Arts Dallas, (USA) April 9th 2011
Greenbuild Chicago 2010, International Forum Opening Plenary: Sustainable Architecture in Latin America, Chicago (USA), November 16th 2010
Kent University, (USA), February 19th 2009
"ECOGRAM: The Sustainability Question"; conference at Columbia University, (USA), October 25th 2008
Women in Design, Kansas City, (USA), October 15th 2008
Energy Day at Northwestern University, (USA), May 19th 2007
Chicago Architecture Foundation, (USA), October 10th 2006
American Institute of Architects, (USA), July 18th 2006
Chicago Center for Green Technology, (USA), April 15th 2006
Chicago Center for Green Technology, (USA), May 14th 2005
“Making of the Zero Energy House in Chicago”; Chicago Expo at McCormick Center: April 24th 2005
Green Pavillion at the Chicago Home Expo, (USA), April 23rd 2005
Aubor University, Rural Studio, (USA), February 28th 2005
Zhengzhou DiverseCity Forum, (China) May 20th 2004
Beijing International Forum, (China) May 18th 2004
The Berlage Institute, (Neatherlands), May 8th 2003
Barcelona School of Architecture, (Spain), April 2nd 2003
The School at the Art Institiute at Chicago, (USA), March 13th 2003
Chicago Architectural Club, (USA), December 17th 2002
Juror
Beijing DiverseCity Exhibition Finalists, (China), May 2004
Zhengzhou DiverseCity Exhibition Finalist, (China) May 20th 2004
Burnham Prize Finalist, Chicago, (USA), May 2004
Exhibition Organizer / Curator
Co-coordinated DiverseCity Exhibition at the AIA Convention in Chicago, June 2004
Exhibitions
Work exhibited as part of Wonderland Exhibition:
http://www.wonderland.cx/index.php?idcat=4
Work exhibited as part of DiverseCity Exhibition:
http://www.diversecity-architects.com/P2/venues.htm
Cardiff: December 2006
Manchester: November 2006
Cambridge: November 2006
Birmingham: October 2006
Manchester: September 2006
Oxford: June 2006
Newcastle: April 2006
Athens: November 2005
Paris: October 2005
Istanbul: July 2005
Brussels: May 2005
Dublin: November 2004 – January 2005
Chicago: AIA Convention, June 2004
Beijing + Zhengzhou: May 2004
Auckland: March 2004
Sydney: March 2004
AIA Chapter office in Los Angeles (USA) March - September 2004
Beijing Soho Development (China), May - June 2004
Royal Australian Institute of Architects, Sydney, March - April 2004
University of Auckland, Auckland, (New Zealand) Feb. - Mar. 2004
Los Angeles, British Consulate General, January - February 2004
Boston: Build Boston, (USA), November 2003
London – Launch: RIBA, October 2003
others:
Chicago: I-Space Gallery CAC show; February 2005
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