Chris Horan is an award-winning architect, educator, and social-impact entrepreneur working at the intersection of architecture, public health, and emergency readiness.

As founder and principal architect of Horan Architects, Chris leads projects from early planning and programming through architectural design, code and life-safety coordination, consultant collaboration, permit submission, and construction documentation. His practice combines practical project delivery with a commitment to safer, healthier, and more inclusive places.

Chris was recognized as the 2025 AIA Illinois Champion for Social Impact. He also serves as Associate, Sales & Marketing at Belay MedLocker; co-founded Red Sneakers Peoria; teaches and serves on the Civil Engineering and Construction Advisory Board at Bradley University; and is developing EMERGE-NC, a framework connecting design, education, mapping, pilot projects, community risk reduction, and standards for public-access emergency medication readiness.

His work has been featured on PBS and NPR Illinois. Across architecture, advocacy, education, communications, and implementation, his goal remains consistent: turning people and places into life-saving potential.

Why this work matters

Chris’s perspective is personal as well as professional. As a food-allergy and primary-immunodeficiency parent, he understands the difference between a policy that exists on paper and a system that works in the moment. That lived experience informs his focus on access, visibility, wayfinding, education, training, and durable implementation.

Connected Work

Architecture, public health, education, advocacy, and implementation are different disciplines, but emergency readiness depends on all of them. Chris Horan works across several distinct organizations and initiatives that contribute different pieces of that larger system.

Horan Architects

Architectural design, life-safety coordination, inclusive design, visualization, and built-environment implementation.

EMERGE-NC

An umbrella framework connecting pilot projects, design, education, mapping, community risk reduction, and standards development for public-access emergency medication readiness.

Epi Everywhere

An early implementation pillar demonstrating how advocacy, training, medication access, secure storage, visibility, and operational support can function as one coordinated system.

Red Sneakers Peoria

Nonprofit advocacy, public education, community partnerships, local pilots, and momentum toward allergy-friendly cities.

Belay MedLocker

Chris serves in sales and marketing, helping organizations understand and implement secure, visible, and accessible emergency-medication infrastructure.

Bradley University

Affiliate instruction, advisory-board leadership, student engagement, and opportunities to connect education with real community challenges.

Community Partnerships

Collaboration and sponsorship supporting organizations such as the Yellow Bear Foundation and families affected by primary immunodeficiency.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-horan-b835388?utm_source=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=member_ios