Tony Grunsfeld » Architects + More

Ernest A. Grunsfeld III (often credited as Tony Grunsfeld to differentiate between his and his father’s works) attended the Institute of Design in the summer of 1945 while still at Francis W. Parker and studied under Ralph Rapson and Gregory Kepes. In 1947 he attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and received his professional degree in 1952. Returning to Chicago, Grunsfeld worked in the office of George Fred Keck and William Keck. In 1953 Grunsfeld was commissioned into the U. S. Air Force as an Air Installation Officer and served until the end of the Korean War in Bangor Maine, designing buildings for air force bases in the northeast United States. Returning to Chicago, Grunsfeld worked in the offices of SOM, Holabird and Root and Bertram Goldberg. In 1955, Grunsfeld traveled to Europe to study architecture in Norway, Denmark, Sweden, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany, Switzerland, Italy and England, returning to Chicago in 1956.

In 1956 Grunsfeld established the firm of Yerkes and Grunsfeld Architects with Wallace F. Yerkes that was later dissolved upon Mr. Yerkes death in October of 1965. Grunsfeld and Associates, Architects was the continuation of the former firm with Grunsfeld as the sole owner. Completed projects of both Yerkes and Grunsfeld Architects and Grunsfeld and Associates Architects include many Gold Coast high rise apartment alterations, many residential alterations and residential additions in Chicago metropolitan area, over one hundred thirty new single family residences in the Chicago area 17 of which are built on riparian property, and new residences in California, Colorado, Idaho, Indiana, New Mexico and Texas. The firm continues from 2001 – present as Grunsfeld Shafer Architects.

For more information and photos, see their website at:
http://gsachicago.com/projects/