WHO WE ARE

“Architecture is my life…”

 

Joseph (Joe) Legat is an award-winning architect known for his expertise in designing educational facilities. His diversified architectural experience is widely recognized for being innovative, bold, and offering new solutions in the design and planning of interior spaces and educational buildings. Joe ensures projects are visually stimulating, energy efficient, and functional in terms of space utilization. He takes a personal interest in each project, ensuring they are completed without extras, on time and within budget.

 

From the time Joe Legat was in high school, he knew he wanted to become an architect, and enrolled in architecture school at the University of Illinois. He received straight A’s in all of his architectural design courses did some “out of sight” projects, according to his professors. Joe was a member of Alpha Rho Chi, an American professional co-educational college fraternity for students studying architecture.

 

Upon completion of the five-year architectural program at the University of Illinois, Joe became an apprentice in the offices of international renowned, award-winning Waukegan architects Ganster & Henninghausen. At the young age of 28, out of a spare bedroom in his home, Joe began his own firm with his late wife, Joan. They quickly moved the business to a small office in Waukegan, then exceeded that location so moved into yet a larger office, before settling into a 10,000 square foot office in Waukegan. He and Joan were sole owners of the firm, and soon opened branch offices in Schaumburg, Crystal Lake, Oak Brook, Palatine and Chicago, designing projects locally, nationally, and internationally, across six of seven continents.

 

All of Joe Legat’s work is earned by word of mouth recommendations and referrals from satisfied clients, contractors, engineers and vendors. Joe worked with more than 80 K-12 School Districts in Illinois and 30 community colleges (out of 50 in the state). He became the architect known for excelling in designing K-12 and higher education schools. “That’s what I know best,” says Joe.