Exley's projects include the DuPage Children's Museum, the House in the Woods, a 21,000-square-foot (1,950m2) Ronald McDonald House in Oak Lawn, Illinois,[1] the Exploration Station children's museum[2] and the Young at Art Museum's exhibits and galleries in Davie, Florida.

Prior to founding his own firm in 1994, he worked for Skidmore, Owings & Merrill in Chicago and London and with Venturi, Scott Brown and Associates in Philadelphia.

In 2012, Exley was named President of the American Institute of Architects Chicago for the year 2013.

[6] In 1996 Exley was the recipient of the AIA Chicago Young Architect Award[7] and in 2003 received the AIA Illinois Excellence in Education Award.

[9] In 2017 Exley was awarded the AIA Chicago and the AIA Chicago Foundation's Professional Excellence & Distinguished Service Award.