Peggy Hoffmann and Carol Stolt are among the 65 professionals selected as Notable Women in Construction and Design by Crain's Chicago. According to Crain's, they demonstrate that construction and design is far less of an exclusively male domain than it used to be. We are extremely proud of Peggy and Carol and for all the women of FGMA who make significant contributions to the firm and to our communities every day!
Peggy Hoffmann, IIDA, LEED AP, REFP studied art before turning to architecture at the University of Cincinnati where she received her Bachelors Degree in Architecture. She has always preferred focusing on the interior spaces of the built environment.
Prior to joining FGM Architects in 2000, Peggy worked at Perkins & Will where she discovered her passion for designing learning environments. Peggy served as President of IIDA Illinois in 2013. She has published and presented widely on new ways of thinking about the design of learning environments in the 21st century. Peggy’s approach comes alive in schools where each classroom has its own flavor and can be flexibly configured depending on individual learning objectives.
Peggy is a leading practitioner of 21st century design solutions that engage students and educators to enhance the learning experience. Her work is animated by the conviction that all students learn differently and succeed better with flexible options that address their unique and changing needs.
Honoring diversity and giving people control over their environments is at the heart of Peggy’s design philosophy. “Giving people choice is a deep demonstration of respect – respect that we are each unique and we all learn differently. When we feel respected, we are more likely to extend that same generosity of spirit towards others. Imagine!”
Carol Stolt, Allied ASID, WELL AP, is a registered Interior Designer with over 25 years of experience in contract design. Her experience includes Fortune 500 companies, small businesses, libraries, higher ed institutions, K-12 education, and health care offices. Carol is a Vice President and Design Principal at FGM Architects (FGMA).
Carol joined FGMA in 2009 and currently leads Interior Design for the firm’s Higher Education and Corporate practice areas. Prior to joining FGMA, she was an Interior Designer at Abrams Design Consultants, Lohan Associates, Perkins & Will, and Avenue. She earned her B.S. in Interior Design from the Harrington Institute.
Carol’s desire to impact people’s lives for the better first drew her to the world of interior design where she found the opportunity “to have that touch point at the human level in the places where people live and work.”
Carol’s passion for people’s well-being informs her pioneering advocacy for the growing practice of the WELL Building Standard. She’s among the first generation of interior designers to be certified for her knowledge and experience, encouraging others to ask, “How can we advance the health and well-being of the people who live and work, learn and play, in the buildings we design?”
Carol predicts that the growing urgency of health and well-being will draw designers into confluence with other professions including medicine, engineering, and sociology. “We’ll become more integrated with other professions as we can show how design influences people’s behavior and positively impacts outcomes such as learning and productivity.”