Tod Desmarais

Tod Desmarais is a Studio & Project Director in Gensler’s Chicago office and has over 30 years of experience advancing the quality of the urban environment through progressive architecture, innovative technology and sensible development.
 
He has led the design, technical and management of projects in varying use groups and scales, from single-purpose structures to the execution of high-rise, mixed-use, multi-building developments and campus master plans. His projects have received over twenty national and international design and development awards including a national AIA award for Housing and Distinguished Honor Awards from the Chicago, Wisconsin and Arizona chapters of the AIA.
 
During his career Tod has performed every function of the real estate development process. Acting as owner, developer, architect, contractor, broker and property manager, he has been directly responsible for land acquisition, municipal entitlements & permitting, architectural design & documentation, bidding & construction and sales & leasing of nineteen complex, urban, infill and mixed-use speculative real estate developments containing more than 75 buildings, 4,000 luxury, multi-family dwellings, 150,000 square feet of commercial space and integrated, structured parking with a combined value of more than $2,000,000,000.