Tadd Heidgerken, RA is a licensed architect in Michigan. With more than 10 years of professional architectural experience, including five years running his own design studio, Heidgerken has investigated contextual works through architecture, installation, fabrication and illustration. Heidgerken earned a master's degree in architecture from the Cranbrook Academy of Arts (2008) and his Bachelor of Architecture degree from the University of Detroit Mercy (2001).

His current works include designs for the Great Amusement Park Hotel in Enugu, Nigeria, for CDS, and Astro Coffee, the Stark residence and the Re:View Contemporary Gallery Courtyard in Detroit.

As a faculty member at the School of Architecture at UDM, Heidgerken instructs a vertical design studio as well as courses dedicated to the incorporation of computer software and digital fabrication techniques into the design practices.

Heidgerken actively seeks partnerships with diverse local, national and international teams, bringing the necessary expertise to design problems. Current collaborative projects include the Roosevelt Park Master Plan and the Slows To-Go commissary with Urban Detail and Los Pistoleros Design, and English Village Townhouses and Williamsburg condominiums with Volume1.

He's a co-founder of the design collective etal Collaborative and is director of the etal Collaborative-D. a development company located in Detroit, Michigan.

The act of building is the most effective method to investigate our spacial ideas. His built works and installations have recently been exhibited at Daimler Financial HQ (2008), the Review Contemporary Gallery (2009), the Detroit Artist Market (2008), Cranbrook Museum as well as with showcased work as a faculty member at UDM (2007). Heidgerken participated with Jeannine Shinoda in the development of two storefronts enhancements for the AIA Detroit and Downtown Detroit Partnership (2009).

Iteration and observation are techniques used to challenge and hone original design intentions. Rarely do we discover the most effective solution first. A project's comprehension of social and physical context will inform the design and programming solutions. Trends and identities are critical in performing design - they empower designers to remain relevant to the project and communicate their intentions clearly to all involved parties, from the user to the investor.