Craig Chinn, AIA

Craig founded ADC around a simple idea: the best design comes from getting the right people in the room, asking the right questions, and creating an environment where everyone is willing to speak up. As Founder, President and CEO, he remains closely involved in early design, client relationships, and ADC’s design charrette process—often helping teams determine the problem they actually need to solve before they start designing the answer.

Craig is known around the office for saying, “If you’re not cheating, you’re not trying.” For him, it isn’t about taking shortcuts. It is a reminder not to simply accept the problem as it is presented. If there is a simpler, smarter way to accomplish the client’s goal, he wants the team to find it—even when that means questioning the original assignment. That mindset has led to solutions that reduce cost, simplify construction, avoid unnecessary work, and ultimately make the project better.

Collaboration is central to his approach. Craig believes some of the strongest ideas come from the comment someone almost didn’t make, and he enjoys challenging clients and design teams as much as he appreciates being challenged himself. He also believes every project should develop its own architectural language—one that carries from the big idea down to the smallest details, including materials, lighting, furnishings, and the connections between them.

A licensed architect in more than 40 states, Craig brings more than two decades of experience to ADC, but he gets as much satisfaction from helping younger designers grow as he does from seeing a project come to life.

Away from ADC, he loves to travel, build things, and tackle construction projects himself. He also maintains an unapologetic appreciation for comedies that are unlikely to appear on anyone’s list of cinematic masterpieces—White Chicks and EuroTrip included.