April Hughes
April Hughes, AIA, LFA, NCARB, LEED AP BD+C, FitWel Amb, is the President at Nurture, a Chicago-based woman-owned studio known for its commitment to sustainable design, historic preservation and community-focused architecture. Her work fuses historic preservation with cutting-edge environmental design strategies, and under her leadership, Nurture has become known for creating buildings and spaces that respond to environmental urgency and cultural legacy.
A graduate of the University of Kansas, April has received recognitions including the AIA Chicago Dubin Family Young Architect of the Year and the AIA Illinois John Wellborn Root Award. Steadfast in her dedication to the firm's mission as a woman-owned enterprise, April advocates for a net-zero future while championing opportunities for women to guarantee their voices are heard and valued, and was recognized as a DuPont Emerging Leader at the Design Futures Council Sustainability Summit.
April’s design portfolio reflects her deep commitment to environmental responsibility and innovation. She has led numerous award winning and precedent setting projects, delivering platinum-rated LEED projects and pioneering Midwest net-zero energy design. Noteworthy projects in her portfolio include the award-winning Yannell PHIUS+ Residence, the Midwest’s first certified PHIUS+ single-family residence retrofit in a fourteen-state region. Her work has earned recognition from esteemed publications like the Chicago Tribune and renowned architectural critic Blair Kamin, with features in a variety of outlets including Architect Magazine, Elle Decor, Shore Magazine, and WTTW-Chicago.
April’s leadership extends beyond her firm, presenting her work at conferences that aim to connect and cross pollinate existing cultural assets and high-performance architecture, from Passive House Institute US Summit, to the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Preservation Forward, as well as a variety of AIA local, regional and national design and leadership conferences. She has also contributed to influential publications and thought leadership pieces on climate-responsive architecture, including Sustainable Urbansism and Green From the Ground Up, further cementing her role as a respected voice in the profession. Her pieces have also appeared in Chicago Architect magazine.
April is registered in multiple states, and has been a design awards jury leader for numerous organizations including AIA Brooklyn, AIA Honolulu, AIA Birmingham, AIA Northern Virginia, and has served on AIA Wisconsin, ensuring the recognition of sustainable design excellence. Her notable achievements, including being named and serving as Board President of AIA Chicago, highlight her emphasis on community enrichment and driving positive change both within and beyond the industry, and her creation of the AIA Chicago transFORM Business Leadership Program in collaboration with Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program has educated over 200 early and mid-career architects on the elements of finance, business culture and design leadership.
Apart from her professional pursuits, April serves as a Director on the Board of Directors for Chicago’s oldest women’s domestic violence organization, Connections for Abused Women and their Children (CAWC), leading capital campaign and development initiatives to build its new multi-million-dollar shelter. Her career exemplifies a dedication to architectural excellence, sustainable innovation, and community engagement — shaping both the built environment and the next generation of design leaders.
