Elise DeChard and Gina Reichert Named Interim Architecture Faculty at Cranbrook Academy of Art
Elise DeChard (L) and Gina Reichert (R)
Bloomfield Hills, Mich., July 10, 2025 – Cranbrook Academy of Art is pleased to announce that distinguished architects and Academy alumni Elise DeChard (M.Arch 2017) and Gina Reichert (M.Arch 2003) have been appointed interim faculty for the Academy’s 2025–2026 academic year.
DeChard and Reichert will jointly lead the Architecture program, bringing a diverse range of experience, deep community ties, and a shared commitment to innovation and social engagement.
This transition follows the departure of the current Architect-in-Residence and department head Gretchen Wilkins, who announced in the spring her appointment as Chair of the Architecture Department at Lawrence Technological University. Her last day at Cranbrook was June 30, 2025.
DeChard is a licensed architect and the founder of END Studio, a Detroit-based, women-owned architecture and research practice. Her work explores the potential of urban environments through playful, subversive strategies that reimagine the architectural experience through the lenses of community, sustainability, and interactivity. She has taught at Kendall College of Art and Design and Lawrence Technological University. In addition to her Cranbrook degree, she holds a Bachelor of Architecture from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. She has received numerous accolades, including being named a “Detroit Notable Woman in Design” by Crain’s Detroit Business. Her work has been exhibited across Michigan and in Buenos Aires.
Reichert is an artist and architectural designer whose practice centers on self-initiated projects in her Detroit neighborhood, transforming overlooked spaces through resourceful design. She holds M.Arch degrees from both Cranbrook and Tulane University and has worked with architecture firms and housing organizations across the U.S. She is the co-founder of Power House Productions, a nonprofit that supported contemporary artists through a network of project houses and public sites in Detroit. Her work has received national recognition and funding from organizations such as the National Endowment for the Arts, Creative Capital, the Kresge Foundation, and the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation. Reichert currently teaches at the University of Michigan’s College of Architecture & Urban Planning and has also taught at the College for Creative Studies and Lawrence Technological University.
“We are thrilled to welcome Elise and Gina back to Cranbrook,” said Chris Whittey, Interim Director of Cranbrook Academy of Art. “As alumni and practicing professionals, they bring both expertise and a deep appreciation for Cranbrook’s distinctive studio culture. Their leadership will provide students with meaningful opportunities to explore architecture as a dynamic, socially engaged discipline.”
About Cranbrook Academy of Art
Cranbrook Academy of Art is one of the country’s top-ranked, graduate-only programs in architecture, design, and fine art. Each year, up to 75 students are invited to study and live on our landmark Saarinen-designed campus, which features private studios, state-of-the-art workshops, a renowned Art Museum, and 300 acres of forests, lakes, and streams, all a short drive from the art, design, and music scene of Detroit. The focus at Cranbrook is on studio practice in one of 11 disciplines: Architecture, Ceramics, Fiber, Graphic Design, Industrial Design, Interactive Design, Metalsmithing, Painting, Photography, Print Media, and Sculpture. The program is anchored by celebrated faculty and Artists- and Designers-in-Residence, one for each discipline, all of whom live and practice on campus alongside our students.
Media Contact:
Julie Fracker
Director of Communications
Cranbrook Academy of Art + Cranbrook Art Museum
jfracker@cranbrook.edu
248.645.3329
