When Matt Longenecker was growing up in Warsaw, IL., he loved helping his father — who was a carpenter — with projects of all kinds. As Matt got older, those small projects became major remodeling jobs and complete home builds.
Not only does Matt still enjoy home improvement projects, but that experience led him to a career in architecture. Matt had a knack for geometry and designing, and working at the local lumber yard while in high school taught him a lot about building materials.
Matt attended Southeastern Community College in Keokuk, Iowa, before transferring to Southern Illinois University. In 1995, he graduated summa cum laude with Bachelor of Science in Advanced Technical Studies, with an emphasis in Architecture.
Today, Matt has been lead architect on many types of projects, including multi-million dollar school projects. His experience covers all phases of architectural service including design development, document preparation, project bidding and construction observation.
Matt and his wife Kris have five children, and he volunteers time coaching his daughters’ basketball team. He’s also involved with his church, St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Canton, and a member of the local Knights of Columbus. When he gets the opportunity, Matt enjoys a good camping or fishing excursion, as well as playing the drums.
Matt joined Phillips & Associates Architects in 1995, and when PAA merged with Graham & Hyde in 2022, he was excited about the opportunity to apply new ideas and methods to provide efficient services to clients across Illinois.