Young architect spotlight:
Meet justice architect Tommy Sinclair

By Jason Takeuchi

Tommy Sinclair, AIA, LEED AP BD+C
Sinclair is an architect and project designer at HOK’s Tampa office. Originally from Florida, his 14 years of experience in justice architecture brought him from Tampa to Dallas, to Los Angeles, and back to Tampa. Sinclair’s passion for justice architecture is reflected in his involvement with the AIA’s Academy of Architecture for Justice (AAJ).
Born and raised in Florida, Tommy Sinclair graduated in 2006 with an M.Arch from the University of South Florida School of Architecture and Community Design in Tampa. While in school, he was fortunate to receive an award sponsored by HOK. Little did he know that this connection would lead to his first job in the architecture profession and a fulfilling career focus in architecture for justice.
A proud family man, Sinclair stands out as a community and civic-driven leader. During my interview with Sinclair, three things were very clear: He truly loves what he does. His work is making a genuine difference. And he has opened my eyes to what justice architecture really is and what it can be.



The following questions and answers give greater insight into Sinclair’s expertise, passions, and aspirations.

Jason Takeuchi (JT): Did you take a non-traditional path to become an architect or since you became a licensed architect? If so, please describe that journey.

Tommy Sinclair (TS): I think it was a fairly traditional path to becoming an architect, but probably not so traditional in regards to the project type that I’ve focused on since graduating. Justice projects (courthouses, corrections, public safety) are not typically studied in architecture school, so starting out the gate working on courthouses was really new and exciting to me. At the time I started at HOK’s Tampa office after graduating in 2006, the office was fortunate to have quite a few courthouse projects on the boards and in construction, not just in Florida, but in New York and New Jersey as well. I gained valuable experience that led me to justice architecture, a specialty that I’m very proud of.

I worked in the HOK Tampa office for eight years, mostly on courthouse design, planning, and space programming. My favorite project there was the East Hillsborough County Courthouse in Plant City, Fla. After eight years in Tampa, I transferred to the HOK Dallas office, where the regional offices started a hub of justice expertise to deliver justice projects around the Gulf Coast area.

In Dallas, I worked on many master planning and programming efforts for county facilities across Texas in eight different counties. One of my favorite experiences was planning and designing the Hays County Public Safety Building in San Marcos, Texas, which has sheriff’s office space, evidence storage and processing, an EOC, and 911 dispatch center.

After 4½ years in Dallas, I transferred to the L.A. office. While in Los Angeles, I gained experience in mental health projects for the local community, as well as a 50 bed mental health crisis facility for patients that are a part of the state’s correctional system. And now my journey has come full circle and I am back to practice in Florida. To say I’m excited to be back is an understatement!

JT: What are some misconceptions about justice architecture?

TS: Justice facilities are more than just courthouses and jails. They are mental health treatment facilities, 911 dispatch centers, police stations, forensic labs, correctional facilities. These projects are important for communities but oftentimes misunderstood by the public since they are not allowed inside the secure portions of these projects. Good justice architecture projects have interior environments that strive to incorporate natural daylight, color, and areas of respite, rather than be bunkers.

In justice architecture, there is a tricky balance of being welcoming to public and staff and being secure, while designing to represent the community it serves. All of these projects have clients that are municipal, county, state, or federal entities, so they are inherently based in civic and local community work.

JT: Why did you decide to get licensed, and what year did you receive your initial license? What has your architectural license helped you achieve?

TS: Getting licensed was always a major milestone for me because that meant it was official! I received my initial license in 2015. I am currently registered in Florida and Texas.

Since getting my license in 2015, it’s really helped with my exposure to more client-centric and business development aspects of the profession. Firmwide, justice leaders began placing my résumé and profile into project proposals for new work across the country. They’ve asked me to participate in interviews, leading programming/planning meetings and workshops with the clients, etc. Getting my license also helped diversify and round out my experience.



JT: Is there any advice you have for other young architects or other words of wisdom you’d like to share?

TS: I think that finding a mentor early in my career really helped to set the stage for my professional growth. My advice to young architects is, when you find a colleague you look up to and respect, someone you connect with, don’t be shy in asking a lot of questions. In my experience, the mentors that I have worked with understand the value of knowledge transfer and mentorship to the next generation of leaders in the profession. In addition to seeking mentorship, become a mentor yourself as you gain experience and are placed in leadership positions or opportunities. Pay it forward.

JT: If you could change one thing about the profession, what would it be?

TS: Something I would encourage more is the cross-pollination of architecture specialists within the profession to share lessons learned and experience. I think the role of the architect has been evolving to be more multi-disciplinary. Justice architects will be gaining more experience in healthcare aspects from projects that have mental health treatment programs. And with health care architects working on more community-based projects for county and local government, you will begin to see increased security needs and more local entities like public defenders having office and interview space within a treatment facility. These community-based types of projects can help serve the most vulnerable populations, which include those struggling with mental illness or substance use disorders and homelessness and those who have been involved in the criminal justice system.

Author Bio:

Jason Takeuchi, AIA, NCARB
Takeuchi is an architect at Ferraro Choi And Associates in Honolulu, HI, and the Young Architect Regional Director for the AIA Northwest and Pacific Region. He is a 2018 Associates Award Recipient.