Demanding, complex projects continue to hold Principal Martha Bell’s interest after more than twenty years in an ownership role of a design firm. Her projects are notable by their variety of client types and range of services. Her body of work encompasses public and corporate offices, municipal and educational facilities, financial institutions and trading firms, and distribution and retail facilities. She has particular expertise in space requirements programming and feasibility studies.

A common thread in Martha’s work is her commitment to client service and excellence in design, both rooted in careful responsiveness to client needs. With a client’s program thoroughly established and agreed upon, Martha’s work concentrates on implementation, tailoring the project approach to each client’s particular requirements. Budgets and schedules are factored into the design from the outset. Project work focuses on the achievement of excellence, uniquely defined by individual goals for each project. Martha provides Tilton, Kelly + Bell’s quality control, with emphasis on code review and interpretation, accessibility issues, project coordination, and contractual issues.

Martha began her professional career more than three decades ago, establishing early experience in design build of industrial facilities, and moving from there to Tilton + Lewis Associates, where she became a project manager and worked with her future partner Michael J. Kelly, primarily on trading facilities, banks, and corporate office interiors.

In 1986 she established Martha Bell & Associates, and expanded her practice into the public arena. Projects included community centers, libraries, museums, educational facilities, large scale governmental projects, and ongoing corporate interiors work.

In 2000, she and Mike Kelly joined to form Tilton, Kelly & Bell, where Martha is the managing principal. TKB offers expertise in the same markets as its two predecessor entities, strengthened by its expanded staff and breadth of experience.

Martha received her BA, with honors, in Architecture from Iowa State University and holds a Business Certificate from the Center for Enterprise Development Studies at the University of Illinois. She is a licensed architect in Illinois and Wisconsin, is certified with the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB), is a member of the American Institute of Architects and is a Certified Energy Professional with the City of Chicago an accredited professional with LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design).

Martha’s community involvement includes ten years as chairperson of the Downtown Palatine Redevelopment Commission, fourteen years on the William Rainey Harper College Educational Foundation including a term as president, ten years as chairperson of the Harper College Arts Committee, and a variety of other community roles related to the physical environment, human services and education.