Tom’s passion for space planning and deep expertise with PAYETTE’s typologies have shaped his leadership of the newly formed Space Strategies Group since his arrival. He joined PAYETTE in 2018 after seven years at Sasaki Associates, where he led campus-scale research planning and lab planning for key science and technology projects. At PAYETTE, Tom has pioneered the creation of tools such as Pulse—exploring how people use space at both campus and building scales—along with lab planning dashboards and building assessment tools. Collectively, these innovations have strengthened PAYETTE’s fluency in data-informed space planning and design.
Tom works at the intersection of architecture, lab and space planning and data analysis. He leads planning and programming work across the office, helping clients untangle needs, synthesize goals and prioritize opportunities to make strategic decisions about space and capital investments. Through this work, Tom brings a broad perspective on best practices, emerging trends and performance metrics—enabling visionary projects that integrate innovations in curricula, pedagogy and thematic research with new approaches to the design and use of space.
Tom has played a pivotal role in several major projects, laying the groundwork for buildings and campus transformations to come. At Penn State, he led planning and programming for two new engineering buildings on the West Campus—the Engineering Collaborative Research & Education Building and the Engineering Design and Innovation Building. At Tulane University, he has been central to re-envisioning the School of Science and Engineering as well as the entire Downtown Campus. His portfolio also includes contributions to Emory University, Johns Hopkins University, UC Berkeley, UMass Amherst, Tufts University, Louisiana State University and the University of Notre Dame. Across these institutions, Tom consistently becomes a trusted partner to senior leadership, bringing strategic perspective to every engagement.
EDUCATION
B. Arch. with Honors, 2000, the University of Texas at Austin