Thomas Beech joined our team this month as an Architectural Designer, and we want to give him a warm welcome! Hailing from Medford, Oregon, Thomas moved to Connecticut a year and a half ago and is loving the Northeast. Tom brings experience with Building Information Modelling, advanced rendering techniques, and sustainable design practices.
Prior to joining Patriquin Architects, Tom worked at The S/L/A/M Collaborative, taking part in the design of Healthcare facilities across the Northeast. Tom received a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Oregon. He is an Associate Member of the AIA.
To help you get to know Tom, we thought we would ask him about his beginnings in architecture and what inspires him the most.
Why architecture?
It was a happy coincidence. I took drafting courses in high school and really enjoyed them. I was good at abstract thinking like math, and when it came time to apply for college, I looked into the Architecture program at the University of Oregon. I was accepted and loved it.
Who’s your favorite architect? Favorite structure?
My favorite architect is Renzo Piano—of all the star architects, he works deeply with technical details and finds beauty in them.
My favorite building is Zentrum Paul Klee in Bern, Switzerland. The main volumes of the building are structured like hills, bordered by a field. On the field side, the buildings are hardly visible. This was the inspiration for my terminal studio project.
What sort of thinking resonates with you as an architect?
I see architecture as a way to improve society as a whole—in a cityscape or in a town.
I think architecture needs to work at the human scale, no matter the size of the building.
Decisions need to be intentional. One of my teachers once said that every decision should have 3 reasons to support it—not just,”It looks cool” or “It needs to be here for structural reasons.”
Name 3 things a great design requires.
- A great design needs human scale and proportion
- It needs to respond to context in some manner
- We have to find rhythm or pattern in the design
What’s your favorite aspect about the job of an architect?
I love the variety in the work we do on a daily basis. We work on plans, details, 3D renderings, physical models, then we may go to a job site or we may be meeting with our clients. I am also learning the responsibilities we have as architects. We have to know about business, marketing, building codes and regulations, design and aesthetics.