Firm | About Us

Thomas Roberts Architects was established in 2009 by Thomas Roberts, AIA as a small practice specializing in planning and design services for historic sites and buildings.

Since its inception, the firm has selected its projects and clients carefully and collaborated closely with the region’s foremost experts in the field. TRA continues to provide excellence in architecture, planning, and historic preservation; working on a growing number of diverse project types including theatres, churches, schools, office, residential, hospitality, retail, community, and civic buildings.

The firm synthesizes urban design, historic preservation, adaptive reuse, and economic development strategies for the redevelopment of stand-alone buildings and the revitalization of downtown districts. Many projects at TRA begin with an urban design plan and redevelopment strategy that pinpoints key buildings to drive the revitalization of commercial districts. TRA transforms communities’ liabilities into assets and creates future visions for those communities. Additionally, TRA is a pioneer in the community engagement process, educating the public on the importance of quality design and the critical need for investment in visionary and transformative public projects. TRA has leveraged over $150 million in investments for neglected communities and has made a significant impact on the quality of life in those communities.

As one of the state’s expert firms in preservation with knowledge of the federal historic tax credit program, TRA has worked to preserve dozens of nationally recognized historic structures and sites with a portfolio that includes some of the most significant historical preservation work across Michigan. These projects include the 136-year-old Tibbits Opera House Façade restoration and reconstruction that has led to awards from the local and state chapter of the American Institute of Architects, the Michigan Historic Preservation Network, and the 2013 State of Michigan Governor’s Award for Preservation. TRA repeatedly demonstrates that restored local landmarks, once considered “white elephants,” can become anchors and an actively contributing resource to traditional downtowns. TRA has also shown that this small-town philosophy can apply to larger cities like Detroit where TRA has completed dozens of projects throughout the city. The firm has contributed in altering the “tear down” mentality that has plagued the city for years into a new paradigm of blending the old with the new.

TRA intentionally maintains a small practice in order to develop personal relationships with clients and provide the best possible solutions and advice. TRA leads clients to understand their current and future needs working in tandem to create a vision that includes the funding, phasing, and redevelopment strategy to turn that vision into a reality. The hallmarks of the firm are the direct involvement of its leadership in all projects, commitment to design, preservation excellence, and attention to detail.