Ann Thompson, FAIA, is Executive Vice President of Architecture and Design at Related Midwest. Since joining Related in 1995, she has led the creative oversight and planning of projects across the company’s portfolio of mixed-use, mixed-income, affordable and luxury developments, as well as all engineering, zoning and entitlement efforts.
A proven thought leader on architectural concept and implementation, Thompson is a frequent speaker at industry events, has participated in numerous award committee juries and has authored or participated in articles for The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, The Washington Post and Chicago Tribune, among others. Thompson champions design excellence among a variety of stakeholders and prioritizes shared success in the built environment. Her work in this space includes mentoring the next generation of architects and designers, promoting industry career paths through teaching and civic engagement and leading balanced teams on Related’s projects.
In her role, Thompson directs the work of architecture, urban planning, interior design and engineering teams to shape and execute the design and community vision for Related Midwest’s projects, from concept and delivery to building opening. They include the reimagination of the historic Lathrop community along the Chicago River; The 78, a 62-acre downtown development and one of the largest real estate projects in Chicago; and 8080 S. DuSable Lake Shore Drive, a 400-acre master plan in South Chicago that will house the Illinois Quantum & Microelectronics Park (IQMP), anchored by what will be one of the largest quantum computing facilities in the world.
Thompson is a licensed architect in Illinois and serves on the boards of the Chicago Architecture Center and the Alliance Française de Chicago. She is a member of The American Institute of Architects, Economic Club of Chicago, International Women’s Forum and The Chicago Network. In addition, Thompson serves on the advisory boards for the Illinois Institute of Technology College of Architecture and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign School of Architecture, from which she obtained her Master of Architecture. In 2024 Thompson was elevated to The College of Fellows of The American Institute of Architects (AIA), the organization’s highest membership honor for exceptional work and contributions to architecture and society, bestowed on only 3% of AIA members.
