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Meet Our Team

Eric Eichler

MBA, LEED AP - Principal and Founder

Chip Weir

Associate Principal / Project Director

John Barlow

Senior Project Manager

David Crowell

Consulting Senior Director

Andrea Oulehlova

Controller

Eric Eichler

MBA, LEED AP - Principal and Founder

Chip Weir

Associate Principal / Project Director

Jennifer Hart O'Brien

Associate Principal / Operations Director

John Barlow

Senior Project Manager

David Crowell

Consulting Senior Director

Andrea Oulehlova

Controller

Our Commitment​

We encourage owners, design teams, and contractors to integrate sustainability into their design and construction processes and to be considerate of the environmental and ecological impact of their projects.

As we move further into the 21st century and observe the effects of human behavior on our climate and environment, we recognize our industry’s responsibility to future generations to radically change the way we conceive projects to focus on net-zero and net-positive energy solutions.

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Your Vision, Our Mission

Understanding the intricacies of design and construction projects comes from years of experience and a dedication to our client’s visions.

Forge Projects acts as your guide, bringing your ambitious projects to life with precision and expertise.

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Sustainable Building Solutions

Building sustainably is now more affordable than ever. At Forge Projects LLC, we help clients take advantage of incentives like rebates, keeping costs down while promoting environmental responsibility.

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© 2024 Forge Projects LLC. All Rights Reserved. Design by Amp Studio

Eric Eichler

MBA, LEED AP – Principal and Founder

Eric Eichler has 25 years of experience managing design, engineering, construction, and development projects in the Chicago, Los Angeles, and European markets. He has spent the past 15 of these 25 years delivering high‐quality institutional projects for Universities, religious institutions, schools, and other non‐profit organizations in addition to commercial property owners and developers.

Eric has significant expertise in conceptual budgeting, planning, design management, construction management, scheduling, and procurement & administration of architecture, engineering, construction, professional services, and FFE contracts. His experience has given him a solid understanding of how to execute successful construction projects and a deep knowledge of construction costs. Eric is well‐respected professionally in the architecture, engineering, and construction communities as a collaborator who excels at synthesizing input from large groups of stakeholders to deliver quality projects within challenging budget and schedule constraints.

  • eeichler@forgeprojects.net
  • 773.612.9858

Chip Weir

Associate Principal / Project Director

Chip Weir is a skilled project management leader with expertise representing developers, corporations, and lenders in the delivery of multiple project types including office space, corporate headquarters, hospitality, multi-family, retail facilities, healthcare, R&D, and industrial. With 35 years of industry experience, he utilizes a hands-on, detail-oriented approach throughout the course of a project. His leadership skills and ability to work effectively with diverse user groups supports his proven track record achieving client cost and schedule goals.

Drawing on his extensive experience working as both Owner’s Representative and in the Construction Management arena, Chip is well suited to provide a full range of advisory and project management services and to lead multi-disciplinary project teams through complex real estate and construction projects from inception through completion.

  • aweir@forgeprojects.net
  • 312.286.9138

John Barlow

Senior Project Manager

John Barlow has over 10 years experience in providing project management and real estate advisory services to Owners operating in the institutional and commercial sectors of the market. Prior to entering the arena, and after graduating with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Architectural Studies from the University of Illinois, John enlisted in the Peace Corps, serving two years in Togo, West Africa, where he collaborated with vulnerable rural populations to implement and promote environmental awareness and protection.

Immediately prior to joining Forge, John worked as a Development Advisor for Sterling Project Advisors, where he interfaced with a multitude of projects, providing due diligence, risk management, and ongoing real estate development advisory services to a diverse group of financial clients that include the industry’s most highly-regarded real estate investment funds and banks.  John began his career in Owner  representation at the University of Chicago Facilities Services, Capital Project Delivery, where he worked on both major capital projects and complicated renovation projects.  

  • jbarlow@forgeprojects.net
  • 847.922.9557

David Crowell

Consulting Senior Director

Mr. Crowell provides strategic Development Management, Project and Program Management, advisory and planning services for complex Projects and Programs such as master-planned developments, mixed-use developments, residential, hospitality, corporate offices, retail, institutions, adaptive reuse, and real estate portfolios. Mr. Crowell provides clients with strategic and delivery services including: feasibility, best and highest use analysis, organizational structuring and restructuring, and process mapping, site analysis/selection, team development, procurement strategies, contract structuring, and project delivery solutions.

During his 40+ year career, he has been responsible for successful delivery of more than 150 major high profile programs and projects totaling over 100 million square feet in the United States, The United Kingdom, the Middle East, and China. He brings discipline to goal setting and decision-making throughout programming, pre-construction, procurement, and design phases. His work reflects a mastery of processes with high degrees of integrated technology, complexity, and quality.

  • eeichler@forgeprojects.net
  • 773.612.9858

Andrea Oulehlova

Controller

Andrea Oulehlova is a seasoned construction and real estate industry professional who excels in all areas of project accounting and organizational administration.  With experience at several major construction companies and real estate developers, Andrea is well-versed in cost management, pay applications, lien waivers, payroll, accounts payable and receivable, human resources, and corporate tax issues.

Andrea spent two years working for Toyota Financial Services in Prague, Czech Republic, and as a result has experience with both both financial and managerial accounting in addition to her expertise in the construction industry.  Andrea also currently serves as Assistant Controller at Novak Construction in Chicago, Illinois

  • andrea@forgeprojects.net
  • 773.877.2420

Jennifer Hart O'Brien

Associate Principal / Operations Director

With 22 years of progressive roles in university student housing operations and facilities management, Jennifer has extensive experience with capital projects as well as campus master planning activities. Drawing from her long career in higher education in Residential Education, Residence Life, Housing Operations, Facilities Services, and as a faculty member, she brings a nuanced perspective to her advisory services for planning activities or studies. Jennifer’s experience has provided her with a unique understanding of student housing, both short-term and long-term planning and execution, as well as programmatic and student-facing roles.

Jennifer has worked on multiple new residence hall construction projects, large-scale building renovations, multi-million dollar FFE projects, building code upgrades, and coordination of large scale move processes. She is also well versed in the associated budgeting, planning, contracts, procurement, and client management elements of projects. Whether it is organizing and analyzing data as part of a student housing market study, or project managing a furniture replacement project, Jennifer approaches each project with a host of organizational tools and the experience to ensure a successful project.

  • jhobrien@forgeprojects.net
  • 773.610.6323