Anna Ninoyu

Anna Ninoyu is the owner and principal architect of METIS Design, an architecture design firm based in Chicago.  She strives to design environments that are catalysts to community wellness. With her knowledge and interest in building materials and fabrication technology, she leads design teams in achieving high quality and innovative strategies for complex, technology-driven projects ranging from media production, tech incubator and research facilities to healthcare and housing developments.

Anna's introduction to CAN TV was performing the role of project manager and lead architect for CAN TV’s 1309 S. Wood facility under the award-winning architect and her mentor, Carol Ross-Barney, FAIA.  After the successful completion of the building in 2015 and establishing her design practice, Anna’s involvement extended into a position on the board of directors. Her expanded role underscores her commitment to fostering a sense of unity to ensure the sustainability and advancement of community organizations like CAN TV.

She also serves as Council Leader for the U.S.-Japan Council (USJC) and Chair for the Midwest Region, encompassing 13 states.  USJC is a non-profit educational organization based in Washington DC and Tokyo, promoting relationships between leaders in the U.S. and Japan.  She is responsible for engagement with entrepreneurs in the Midwest and Japan, and new member onboarding. She leads in demonstrating the unique values of the Midwest in business, education, and government, advancing economic and diplomatic partnerships with Japan and the Asia-Pacific region at the federal & international level.

In 2018 and 2019, as adjunct professor at the Illinois Institute of Technology, she developed the curricula for the College of Architecture’s traveling seminar to Japan titled “Topics in Advanced Technology”.  The seminar included visiting contemporary and traditional Japanese architecture, UNESCO Heritage sites, and group lectures with well-known architects such as Tadao Ando, Kengo Kuma, and Tezuka Architects. The program included site visits to ongoing projects by construction companies such as Obayashi Corporation and Takenaka Corporation.  Anna led her students through a journey into Japan’s contradictions: preservation of ancient handcrafts vs. state-of-the-art technology, reverence of nature vs high-tech fixation.  She created a platform for students to engage in conversation beyond architecture, discuss the country’s industrial history and cultural myths, and explore current trends that form the city.  Their observations eventually became a discovery of themselves, returning with a new lens in architecture and society.  She is currently planning an immersive program in Nara, Japan for 2025.

Anna strives to diversify and elevate design and construction through cultural exchange and education. She is a promoter of women & minority-owned businesses in her practice, collaborating with several design & construction firms led by women & minority business owners. Her vision and purpose are to create a positive impact in the built environment through architecture and education for the benefit of the community and the next generation.