Faculty DirectoryHelen Kessler
Adjunct Professor
President, HJKessler Associates, Inc.
Contact
2145 Sheridan RoadTech
Evanston, IL 60208-3109
Affiliations
Education
Bachelor of Architecture, The University of ArizonaMaster of Business Administration, Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania
Biography
Ms. Kessler is President of HJKessler Associates, a sustainable
design, LEED, energy efficiency and commissioning consulting
services firm founded in 2003. She is also a Principal with Upfront
Regenerative Design. With over 30 years experience in sustainable
design and energy efficiency, she specializes in the use of an
integrative design approach and has had a leading role on over 80
LEED projects. Projects include higher education, K-12 schools,
hotels, office, commercial interiors, municipal, healthcare, museum
and many other project types.
Ms. Kessler is a former Board member of the U.S. Green Building
Council (USGBC) Illinois Chapter, co-directed its education
programs, was on the Greenbuild host committee and was a voting
member of the national LEED for Commercial Interiors Core
Committee. She is past co-chair of the AIA Chicago Committee on
the Environment, chaired the Energy Code Committee, which
created Chicago’s first energy code, and was a voting member on
the ASHRAE committee that created Guideline 0 – The Building
Commissioning Process.
Ms. Kessler is a frequent speaker and author on sustainability topics
and regularly teaches various courses, including “Systems Thinking
for Sustainable Design” and “Sustainability in Construction” at
Northwestern University. Prior to starting her own firm, she worked
on energy efficiency projects as well as hotel development.
Ms.Kessler has received numerous awards, including the USGBC
Illinois Chapter Natural Leaders “Intent to Matter” award as well as its
Chapter Leader award, AIA Illinois’ R. Buckminster Fuller Award for
Social Good, the inaugural Illinois Real Estate Journal Women in
Real Estate “Impact award” and Alumnus of the Year, The University
of Arizona Honors College. She is a member of the inaugural class
of LEED Fellows and was recognized as a Notable Woman in Design
and Construction by Crain’s Chicago Business in 2021 and Notable
Leader in Sustainability in 2022.