Phillip Craig Johnson

Architect Phillip Craig Johnson was born on October 15, 1947 in Gary, Indiana to Josephine Baptiste Johnson and Richard Johnson. He graduated from Roosevelt High School in Gary, Indiana in 1965 and attended the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois. He received his B.Arch. degree from Kent State University in Kent, Ohio in 1970.

In 1983, Johnson co-founded the Chicago-based architectural firm Johnson & Lee, Ltd. with Frank Christopher Lee where he led the planning and development of numerous projects, including the Komed Health Center in Chicago’s Oakland neighborhood; the North Kostner Health Center in Humboldt Park, which became the first LEED-Gold Federally Qualified Health Center in Illinois; and the St. Edmund’s Oasis townhouse complex in Chicago.

Johnson served on the boards of the American Institute of Architects Chicago (AIA), Archeworks, the Chicago Architecture Club, the City Club of Chicago, the Columbia College Art & Design Department MFA Program Advisory Board, Near South Planning, the Illinois Chapter of the National Organization of Minority Architects (INOMA), and the Newhouse Architecture Committee. He was also a member of the Art Institute of Chicago’s Leadership Advisory Committee, the Business Leadership Council, the Chicago Historical Society Architectural Alliance, the Metropolitan Planning Council for the Chicago Housing Authority Rehabilitation and Reinvestment Study, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Trinity United Church of Christ, and Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., where he founded the Psi Gamma Chapter.

During his career, Johnson received numerous awards and honors throughout his career. In 1997, Johnson was honored with the Distinguished Building Award from the American Institute of Architects Chicago Chapter. In 2000, he received the Driehaus Neighborhood Design Award in 2000 for his work on the Komed Health Center; and, in 2005, Johnson was inducted into the American Institute of Architects College of Fellows. Johnson was featured in the inaugural “50 Men of Excellence” list published by the Chicago Defender in 2007. In 2017, he received another Distinguished Building Award from the American Institute of Architects Chicago Chapter for the North Kostner Health Center. Johnson was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Institute of Architects’ Chicago Chapter in 2020.

Johnson resides in Chicago, Illinois, and is married to Bernice Grier Johnson. They have a son, Larry, and a granddaughter, Elle.

Phillip Craig Johnson was interviewed by The HistoryMakers on April 4, 2023.