About Trevor Frey

For as long as I can remember, ideas have started as drawings. I was the kid filling every notebook margin with sketches of buildings and shapes that caught my attention. Even as a child, I could walk through a space once and later draw an accurate floor plan from memory. That awareness of space has always been my way of understanding the world, and I still practice it today. Growing up near Chicago, I was surrounded by design that sparked my curiosity and made me realize how deeply architecture can affect how people feel within a space.

My interest in design began early through my father’s creative agency, which focuses on marketing commercial real estate. Watching him bring multifamily, office, and mixed-use projects to life taught me that design is storytelling with purpose. I’ve contributed to that work by creating floor plans, master plans, and visual renderings, as well as exploring building imagery through tools like Midjourney. Working with AI has changed how I think about creativity. Rather than fearing technology, I see it as a tool that can expand how we design and imagine. I hope to be part of the next generation of architects who use AI responsibly to create smarter, more meaningful spaces.

My dedication to technology and design has been recognized through my acceptance into the National Technical Honor Society for Technology & Engineering, an organization that honors academic excellence and leadership in the field. Earning this distinction reflects my commitment to merging innovation with design and my belief that technology plays a vital role in shaping the future of architecture. It reminds me that persistence, curiosity, and purpose are the foundations of meaningful work.

My time at the Judson University Architecture and Design Camp confirmed that architecture is my future. Among thirty-five participants, I was honored to be one of three students awarded a college scholarship for my work there. Experiencing the pace and collaboration of studio life made me certain that this is the environment where I belong.

Architecture, for me, is where imagination meets responsibility. I love the process of turning thought into space and sketches into structure. I believe good design can make people stop, connect, and feel a sense of belonging. That mix of creativity and intention is what drives me forward.

Outside the studio, freelance design projects and a part-time job at a hardware store have taught me how ideas translate into reality. Every detail matters, from a hinge to a finish, because those details shape how people experience a space.

I see architecture as a language of empathy. It shapes how people live, learn, and connect. My goal is to keep exploring how light, form, and material influence human experience while designing spaces that are sustainable, accessible, and meaningful.

Every project begins the same way it always has for me: with a pencil, a blank page, and an idea worth building.