Julie Chou, AIA, is a founding partner at Purpose by Design Architects, which she founded in 2023 with two colleagues from Magnusson Architecture & Planning, where she worked for 7 years prior. At MAP, Julie managed a variety of affordable and supportive housing projects. She is a member of Manhattan’s Community Board 5 and sits on the Land Use, Zoning and Housing committee and is the Vice Chair of the Budget, Education and City Services committee. Since her time as a 2018 Forefront Fellow as part of Shelter for All, Julie has become a leader in the movement for more accessible public bathrooms in New York City and leads a public bathroom working group with several community boards across the city. Julie recently served on a working group focusing on trauma-informed design for Good Form, the Forum’s 2022-23 initiative to prioritize health equity in the built environment. She holds a BA in economics from UChicago and a BArch from Cooper Union.