Context-Driven Architecture
We are a Bloomington-based studio designing climate-aware homes and intimate commercial spaces. Every plan begins with daylight, material honesty, and the way you live—not with a catalog.
Licensed in Illinois. Serving Bloomington-Normal, Champaign-Urbana, Peoria, and the surrounding region.
Who We Are
Led by principal architect Celeste Hall, Hall Hopkins Architecture LLC pairs rigorous problem-solving with a warm, human scale. We translate constraints—budget, code, site, history—into clear, buildable solutions.
We begin with your site’s light, wind, and street rhythm. The result is architecture that feels inevitable—fitting both today and decades from now.
Details are drawn for the people who will touch them daily: durable finishes, serviceable assemblies, and layouts that simply work.
We establish scope early, price options transparently, and protect contingencies so there are fewer surprises during construction.
From additions along historic brick streets to compact mixed-use buildings, our portfolio favors comfortable daylight, quiet mechanical systems, and energy models that pay you back. We draw until the plan is calm.
What We Do
Three offerings cover most client needs; each can expand to fit complex sites or regulatory reviews.
We design new residences and transformative additions with envelope-first thinking: orientation, insulation, and mechanical systems that reduce bills without sacrificing comfort. Our documents guide competitive bidding and efficient construction.
From cafés in former garages to office fit-outs in mid-century shells, we navigate change-of-use, accessibility upgrades, and energy code compliance. Tenants get daylight, wayfinding, and acoustics that make small spaces perform like big ones.
When the site or budget is uncertain, we build clarity quickly: test-fit plans, massing studies, and order-of-magnitude costs. You’ll know what fits, what the city will allow, and how to phase the work if needed.
Built & Imagined
Images from recent feasibility studies and completed work around Central Illinois.
Why It Works
We don’t hide the ball. You’ll see schedule, decisions, and costs in plain language. Our one-page brief becomes the north star for you, us, and your builder.
Our plan sets are complete and buildable, minimizing change orders. Contractors know what they’re pricing, inspectors see the intent, and you get a smoother construction phase.
We prioritize orientation, envelope, and shading—simple moves that work for decades. Mechanical systems then right-size naturally, saving upfront and long-term.
Our Edge
You won’t be handed off to a revolving door of junior staff. Celeste Hall attends site walks, zoning meetings, and builder reviews with you.
We prepare scope matrices so each contractor is pricing the same alternates and allowances. It keeps negotiations fair and transparent.
From low-toxicity interiors to heat-pump retrofits, we propose measures that match your climate zone, utility rates, and maintenance capacity.
Spotlight
Central Illinois is full of well-built shells—block walls, heavy timber, big windows. We help them work hard again.
Deliverables typically include a code summary, permit drawings, finish schedules, and a contractor coordination log.
Purpose
Materials & Moments
Our Solutions
A concise review of R-values, window specs, and air-sealing strategies tailored to our climate zone. Expect a two-page action list with payback estimates.
If your project stalled at the counter, we can step in to assemble missing details, coordinate engineers, and present revisions to the reviewer.
We curate durable, easy-to-clean interiors—low-VOC paints, resilient floors, and lighting that renders skin tones naturally.
How We Work
We meet on site, take quick measurements, review surveys, and gather your wishlist. In two weeks we return with two design directions and an outline budget so you can choose a path with confidence.
Selected concept becomes a permit set: plans, elevations, wall sections, window/door schedules, and specifications. We coordinate structural and MEP engineers, then help you solicit comparable bids.
We visit at milestones—foundation, framing, insulation, finishes—answer RFIs, review pay apps, and keep the project aligned with the drawings and your budget. You move in with a tidy punch list and an as-built set.
Let’s Talk
Use the prompts below—short answers are fine. We’ll respond within two business days.
Visit or Reach Out
1 Marvin Gdns, Bloomington, IL 61701-1453, United States
By appointment only. Street parking available along the block.
Email: info@hallhopkinsarchitecture.info
For builders and consultants: please include project name and RFI number in subject lines.