Biographies of Associates - Vajda

Pam Vajda graduated with honors from Illinois Institute of Technology with a Bachelor of Architecture in 1982. After earning her degree, Pam interned with a number of Indiana architecture firms. Prior to starting at Aria Group she worked at David A. Harness Architects in Hanna, Indiana where she instituted, developed and ran the interiors department.

In January, 1994 Pam joined Aria Group Architects; she was promoted to Associate in 2005. In 2009 Pam became a LEED ^© Accredited Professional. As a Project Designer, Pam directs the design of projects and manages the team of designers. While at Aria Group, Pam has worked on many different projects, including:  The South American Marketplace for Brookfield Zoo’s Coast Exhibit, William B's Steakhouse for Blue Chip Casino, Fox and Obel Food Market in downtown Chicago, and the new prototype design for Rock Bottom Brewery. Her responsibilities have included managing and directing the design of 15-20 new P.F. Chang's China Bistros a year. 

One notable project Pam was involved with was Ditka’s in OakBrook Terrace which showcases her interior design skills and features quality millwork detailing. Currently, she is involved with four Cooper’s Hawk Winery projects, where her responsibilities range from directing the interior design to designing a free-standing unit for this client.

Pam’s involvement in her community is shown by her participation in a lakefront design workshop. Like most designers, Pam has an ongoing interest in many aspects of design — interior, fashion, landscape, environmental/green, and of course architectural—and like a typical Aria Group employee, she absolutely embraces the importance of the client, and meeting the client’s needs.