Bio
Trina Sandschafer, AIA, serves as Executive Vice President and Design Principal at Kahler Slater where she provides design leadership at a firm-wide level. Trina leads the firm’s Chicago office and serves as Team Leader for the national Residential, Hospitality, and Corporate practice. Trina is well known for her exemplary design skills and her ability to build strong relationships. She leads her projects with a client-focused approach, resulting in clear conceptual analysis and engaging results.
A sought-after expert, Trina has served on professional design juries, speaks frequently on the topic of design thinking, and has contributed to multiple publications.
An alumnus of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Trina is actively involved with the Illinois School of Architecture as a lecturer, mentor, professional practice liaison, and design critic, working with students to address critical architectural design issues in today’s cities.
In 2020-2021 Trina was the Distinguished Visiting Professor at the Illinois School of Architecture, leading the Chicago Studio and addressing the paradigm shift in urban housing. In 2019, she was honored to deliver the Illinois School of Architecture Convocation Address.
Trina serves as Chair of the Illinois School of Architecture Alumni Advisory Board. She is the Director of the Kahler Slater Studio, a collaborative graduate studio bringing together the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Courses
Kahler Slater Studio