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/ BUILDING DIALOGUE / DECEMBER 2015
/ Brad Tomecek: Exploring Space /
Therefore, no two projects are ever the same, he says. The firm’s mission man-
tra when launching a new job is first to “stop, look and listen,” then base actions
on those critical observations. Tomecek expresses the firm’s guiding philosophy
through artfully simple equations:
client+architect+task+place
and
think
:
make.
As a result, he has received dozens of awards from the American Institute of
Architects’ state and regional chapters and recognition in scores of books, top
industry magazines and design blogs. In 2012, Tomecek was tapped, with 14 of
his peers from around the country, for AIA’s prestigious Young Architect of the
Year award. In addition to his design talent, Tomecek was honored for his vol-
unteer contributions to community nonprofits – such as Habitat for Humanity,
Feed Denver and the Special Olympics – and teaching architecture students at
the University of Colorado.
Despite the challenges of running an in-demand design studio and traveling
the country making presentations, teaching is one of Tomecek’s biggest labors
of love.
“As an architect, you strive to stay true to project concepts and not lose the
soul of the work through the process. I decided to teach because I wanted to
keep exploring and never lose sight of that belief. Once I started, it became very
clear that for me, teaching is soul-feeding,” he explains.
It’s a 360-degree experience that gives back as much or more than he invests
in it, Tomecek says.
“It’s a holistic approach – teaching influences our practice, our practice ex-
plores ways of making, our experiences are presented around the country and
those experiences influence the teaching content,” he explains. “If I absolutely
had to choose one experience from all my roles, it would be the enjoyment
in seeing the explorations by students in both material and space that many
times I’ll bring back to the office to share.”
That spirit of exploration and discovery underlies all TSA projects, which
Tomecek insists must be individually and “situationally responsive.” Looking at
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Photo courtesy
Studio H:T Architecture.
Studio H:T Architecture, with
Tomecek as principal-in-charge,
preserved the original brick building
of the Sign Shop in Denver’s
Highlands neighborhood, while
creating new, contemporary, light-
flooded space over the existing
building. The new addition features
two arcs, one oriented to the
neighborhood and the other toward
downtown Denver.
RIGHT:
Photo courtesy
Tomecek Studio Architecture
From left to right, TSA members
include Brad Tomecek, Kevin
Sietmann, Brittany Wheeler, Brian
Martin and Christa Tomecek.
FAR RIGHT:
Rendering Courtesy Design
Workshop, Denver
A striking tower marks an
architecture and public signage
project TSA is creating for Barefoot
Lakes, a 1,300-acre master-planned
community north of Denver. This
open-air tower is one of 13 planned
pavilions that accommodate a range
of functions, including a sunset
pavilion, a sunrise pavilion and
gathering pavilion.
