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The Architecture Company was founded in 1981 by Nancy and  Richard “Fe” Tom. The firm has been located at the former Silverbell Guest Ranch for 24 years. The office is located in an old adobe structure built in the 1920s. The firm has seventeen employees, including the Toms’ two daughters, who both received architecture degrees and are now interns with the firm.
Fe and Nancy co-manage the company; Fe is President, and Nancy is Vice President. When Fe graduated from the University of Arizona and began work, he frequently traveled between Tucson and Phoenix. The couple decided to start their own business and settled in Tucson in 1983. Nancy says they find Tucson’s quality of life sets it apart from similar cities: “Tucson has the sense of a small community – you can always make a new friend.” She also observes that, “From a philanthropic standpoint, Tucson is a very caring community.” Fe adds that “It’s a good place to raise a family.”
The firm stresses innovation and the development of business niches that reflect the firm’s philosophy. Three areas of specialization are:
- Technology
- Sustainability
- Community Development
Technology
 According to Fe, their firm is ahead of other architectural firms in its use of Building Information Modeling (BIM) software, an architectural design/database software system. The firm has used this software for three years, so the staff is proficient, whereas many other firms are just recognizing its value. Fe also has engineering training, and this gives him a different perspective on architecture, says Nancy.
With this technology, “the way we draw is different,” said Fe. “When we draw something, it’s already 3-D – like virtual drawing.” He adds that, “By embracing state-of-the-art BIM technology for design, we can produce a virtual building drawn to full-scale. This produces higher quality, 3-D products, which clients and contractors can manipulate through rotation, fly-by or walk-through, to really understand what they are getting.” He finds that this results in a higher quality product because it improves communication throughout the design process, resulting in time and cost savings.
Sustainability
A second component of The Architecture Company’s philosophy is sustainable architecture. The firm has practiced “green building” design and incorporated sustainable systems in its buildings, even before current interest in them. Several staff are certified by the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) program: they have gone through training and been certified to design green buildings.
Thinking sustainably comes naturally to Fe. A self-described pack rat, he says “I always try to figure out ways to reuse things – including this building – most people would have just torn it down,” said Fe of the Silverbell Guest Ranch. “The building has a history and a place in Tucson – there is a value to that.”
On the walls of the firm’s office are historic photos of the Silverbell Guest Ranch – an old western ranch house complete with a dining room, lobby and kitchen. The inside of the building now looks like a design firm, with modern systems furniture and architectural graphics. Fe believes their use of the old building is representative of the company’s belief in the value of sustainable architecture.
The company has accrued a long list of awards for their design, energy use, planning, and business practices. In 2007, the firm was awarded the 2007 Sonoran Institute’s Faces of Conservation award for Conservation Design, given to people or projects that are considerate of the environment.
Fe has encouraged the firm to consider sustainability, and notes, “When you do things, you don’t just look 5 or 10 years down the road from now. You look 50 or 100 years ahead and think, ‘How is what I’m doing going to affect the environment?’”
Community Development
Recognizing the fast growth of the Tucson community, the Toms have also focused on helping Tucson to grow successfully. For the Toms, the work they do is all about making Tucson a better place. “Part of our focus is to help young professionals stay in the community,” said Nancy. The company is currently beginning a mentoring program for young architects. “Somehow we need to be able to attract these young people, and the mentor program will help accelerate their knowledge at a faster rate,” she said.
The firm also specializes in architectural design that enhances Tucson’s neighborhoods. “When we do architecture work, we try to make neighborhoods better – to create gathering places and strengthen communities,” said Fe. “In our mind, it’s the people who are important to us, and how we build our environment is important to those people and their life in the Tucson area.”
Learn more about The Architecture Company and their services at www.architecturecompany.net.
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