Moody Nolan Partner’s Commitment to Chicago’s South Side are Both Professional and Personal

Chicago’s South Side is seeing better days, thanks to Englewood neighborhood native and Moody Nolan Partner Renauld Deandre Mitchell. We are proud of his leadership and commitment to his community.

Renauld, an architect who leads the firm’s Chicago and Washington, D.C., offices led the architectural team responsible for designing Englewood STEM High School, which recently opened to acclaim as the first new high school in the neighborhood since the 1970s.

Renauld grew up nearby and also has contributed to numerous other projects benefiting the city and its South Side. For example, Renauld led the architectural team for the new Level I trauma center at University of Chicago, helping establish the South Side’s first such trauma center in 25 years. Other notable projects for Moody Nolan have included:

• City Colleges of Chicago’s Malcolm X College and School of Health Sciences
• Wintrust Arena
• The University of Illinois’ Mile Square Health Center
• UCAN’s North Lawndale City Campus
• Harvey Public Library District Renovation/Expansion
• University of Illinois at Chicago’s Master Plan Update and 2018 Implementation Plan

He’s also deeply involved in projects including DePaul College Prep high school and Northwestern University renovation of the Black House.

For Renauld, the work is both professional and personal, stemming from his early days in Englewood and guided by a mentorship with another prominent African American architect.

Renauld was raised by his grandmother and aunt after his mother died giving birth to him. As he got older, his aunt felt that because he grew up without a father figure in the home, he needed a mentor who could help channel his artistic talents.

An office administrator for prominent African American architect Vernon Williams, his aunt asked if Williams would help give Renauld some direction.

From that point, a mentor relationship began, Renauld says, a relationship that continues. As a young African American who would have had few opportunities to learn about architecture otherwise, he often tells others he probably would never have entered the profession if not for Williams.

While the projects he’s led have received much attention, Renauld believes there are additional ways to give back to the South Side, and he is mentoring other young people in the neighborhood much as  Williams mentored him. For example, he regularly meets with youth in the South Side to teach them about the opportunities within the architecture profession.

In the end, Renauld feels his experiences on the South Side and the benefits of a strong mentor are what have helped to make him successful. Why shouldn’t other kids have a chance?