About Us

For the past 25 years, Oak Park Architect James Michael Vanderheyden has been helping local residents make improvements to their homes. A 1975 graduate of the School of Architecture at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Jim received his formal training in Urban Design. He has contributed to over 200 projects all around the Chicago area. Along with a large number of Home Additions, Jim’s body of work includes new homes, townhouse projects, commercial renovation and restoration work, as well as several church renovation projects.

While most Architects pursue large-scale projects Jim has been successful in making his mark on residential Addition-Renovation work. According to Jim, “addition-renovation work presents unique challenges for the design professional. Adding to an existing structure and making it look seamless can be very difficult. I have always felt that my success is measured by how difficult it is to determine where the original structure ends and the new structure begins. It is always fun to work with clients who are committed to maintaining the Architectural integrity of their classic, and often historically significant homes.”