History

Tom Leader Studio was formed in 2001 in Tom Leader’s living room. This came after 16 years of practice as a partner with Peter Walker and Partners and a fellowship at the American Academy in Rome in 1998-99. Like many young practices, we shot for a high profile with a low overhead. We did well with that, becoming notable finalists in many important competitions and public selection efforts and getting published for it. “A very interesting concept, but…” is something we heard a lot. For that reason, we didn’t win so many of those competitions. But in a relatively short period of time, lots of people knew who we were and respected the risks we took. We were lucky enough to be part of the 2005 “Groundswell” Exhibit at MoMA, New York, and in 2006 at the Cooper Hewitt Triennial “Design Life Now”. Competitions, installations, and exhibitions create an inventory of good material and useful “buzz” but what we really yearned for was the “thing itself”.

In 2004 we got a real office, started building up a larger, talented staff, and moved decisively into designing projects to be built. First among these was “Pool Pavilion Forest” for art collectors in the Napa Valley with James Turrell and Jim Jennings, conceived and built to a high and unconventional standard. Although we’ve quite busy with many types of projects over the last 5 years, much of that effort went into two major projects reaching completion in summer 2010. 20 acre Railroad Park in downtown Birmingham, Alabama couldn’t be more different in its humble, industrial palette and the profile of its users who we’ve come to know over 5 years. Also finishing construction in 2010, the Stanford Medical School campus including a half mile long narrative art walk with artist Susan Schwartzenberg. We offer these projects as evidence of where we’ve been and what we’re about.

Going forward, we are working with SOM’s San Francisco and Chicago offices on numerous commercial and public projects in San Francisco, Denver, Houston, San Bernardino, India and various locations in China. Also, a large US / Mexico Border Crossing at Calexico/Mexicali with Perkins and Will now moves into production. Out of this generation of projects will come the next phase of TLS. As of 2010 we are nine people of varying skills and backgrounds, intending to retain the small-office atmosphere and unpretentious good humor we’ve enjoyed to date.