Ryan Chester

Education

University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee; SARUP BSAS 2003
University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee; SARUP M.Arch 2005

Biography

Ryan received both his Bachelor of Science in Architecture and Master of Architecture from the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee School of Architecture and Urban Planning (2005).  Upon graduation he spent the first two years of his career in New York followed by three years in London working at several offices before returning to the Midwest where he has been working since 2011.

He has always had a passion for representing architecture through hand drawing and has led many courses on the topic of sketching.  Ryan regularly partners with AIA Chicago, the Chicago Architecture Center and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago to teach sketching to different groups throughout the city.  He has also published books on Chicago with a drawing focus including “Chicago Reflected” in 2023 and “Chicago Rebuilt” in 2025.  He has presented his work with the Newberry Library, the Chicago Collections Consortium and the Union League Club of Chicago alongside the University of Chicago Press.

His time as an adjunct professor at SARUP has included teaching design studio, introductory seminars and architectural sketching.

ryanchesterarchitect.com