It starts with the process. When clients engage with Morgante Wilson Architects, they engage with a team committed to transforming a vision into a reality that transcends expectations. Working with the words of contemporary to classic designs and everything in between, Morgante Wilson not only designs homes, it creates lifestyles.

Led by the husband and wife team of Elissa Morgante and Fred Wilson, the award-winning Morgante Wilson Architects firm not only designs homes for its clients’ dreams, but also are able to ease their anxiety during the process.

We sat down with Fred to get his insights on his firm, his team and where the firm is heading into 2025.

Tell us a little about yourself. What is your industry story?

I started the firm 38 years ago, and my wife, Elissa Morgante, came into the firm seven years later. I’m a little more formal like Edwin Lutyens. Elissa is a little more organic like Alvar Aalto. Coming at a project from two very different angles creates an interesting hybrid of the two. It’s a cool dynamic. I’m lucky to be able to work with my best friend every day and wouldn’t be where I am without her.

Give us a snapshot on your company?

Morgante Wilson Architects (MWA), Ltd. is an architecture, interior design and urban planning firm specializing in residential and commercial design, as well as LEED certification. MWA has designed innumerable projects throughout Chicago, the Midwest and the country and received AIA Chicago’s prestigious “Young Architect Award,” AIA Special Recognition Award for Interiors, as well as awards for several historic rehabilitation projects.

What trends are you seeing in the residential construction market today? How are they shaping the industry?

After being forced to stay at home for months during COVID, people are more in tune with how they live in their homes. As a result, they are spending more money on their spaces and celebrating them in ways they haven’t necessarily done before. For example, while the open floor plan is still popular, more and more people are requesting cozier, more intimate private areas like libraries and dens.

Are trends like sustainable and energy-efficient homes influencing building decisions today?

Most of our clients have an interest in sustainability. Many want us to source products locally to reduce their overall carbon footprint. In addition, people are more knowledgeable about passive heating and cooling, so we’re laying out more new homes to take advantage of solar angles and wind directions.

While some green solutions cost more than traditional systems, the 30% energy efficiency home improvement credit often makes green solutions cost about the same as less efficient ones.

What are the biggest challenges you’re facing in the building trade today?

We have some great new projects on the horizon, but two of them may be on hold because of the tariffs. The prices of wood and steel are going up by as much as 25%.

How do you see the role of technology evolving in the residential construction sector?

We want to be as efficient as possible, so we’re using technology to track our project hours, which helps keep us on budget, and we’re using AI for all our meeting minutes, which saves time. Our drawings now have QR codes, so when you’re out at a job site, you can just scan a QR code and pull them up on your iPad. We’re also seeing more subs looking at drawings on their iPads and so forth.

How do you stay ahead of the curve when it comes to new building materials and techniques?

It’s a challenge, but we have about two lunches and learn with our vendors and partners per month, which helps us to stay up to speed on the most relevant new technologies.

What advice would you give to homeowners looking to embark on a new construction or renovation project?

I’d tell them to not get caught in the trap of needing to see every possible option, whether they are looking for kitchen countertops or wood flooring, because there’s so much out there now. Having more options can be good, but it can also feel overwhelming; it’s a double-edged sword. While it’s important to do your research, don’t go overboard. I feel that, in general, your first instinct is the best instinct.

Can you share a story about the uniqueness of the project you have worked on? What made it stand out?

This is a classic home designed by David Adler, which we first renovated years ago for a prior owner. After the house was later sold, the new owners commissioned us to do more work on the project, so we had a double dip. The biggest change we made is to the back of the home. Formerly a servants’ area, we transformed it into a great room with a functional kitchen, family area and mud room.

What do you believe is the future of residential construction?

You have to make sure you’re efficiently hitting the finish line in order to attract new business and get referrals. There is a speed and a sort of diligence that I think our world has developed that is necessary to remain competitive.

One-on-One with Fred Wilson

Describe a typical day.

Every job is different, and every client is unique, so every day is different. I’m in the field about half the time and in meetings the other half. I’m a big night owl, so I draw and design from about 11 p.m.-1:30 a.m. It’s my quiet time, so I can really focus.

What’s the biggest item on your to-do list?

This May, I’ll become a grandfather for the first time.

What’s the most rewarding part of your job?

Changing people’s lives. I’m a people person. I love getting to know what their lives are and what motivates them. What can I provide that changes their lives? We did a whole room for a client’s Grateful Dead memorabilia. I bought the ticket stub for the first show he attended in 1977 on Ebay and had it framed as a gift for the client. That meant a lot to him. The greatest joy is when you feel like you’ve hit a homerun with a client and really changed a client’s life.

What was the best advice you ever received?

Don’t cut corners, especially when you’re first getting started as an architect. You need to be diligent and put the work in to learn how to build, detail and understand what you’re creating. When I was a young architect, you might draw a foundation detail 200 times, so you knew it like the back of your hand. Now you can just copy and paste the same detail.

What’s the best thing a client ever said to you?

You have created the best memories I’ve ever had in my life, and I didn’t expect I’d feel this way at the end of the process.