Exley earned a Bachelor of Arts in Architectural Studies with first-class honours from Newcastle University in 1985, and a Master of Architecture from the University of Pennsylvania in 1990. 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. Architecture Is Fun's work has been exhibited at the Art Institute of Chicago, the Chicago Architecture Foundation and the ICA in Philadelphia. In 2012, Exley was named President of the American Institute of Architects Chicago for the year 2013.