Green Possibilities for Sustainable Structures

About Us

Thomas Cooper

Thomas T. Cooper, AIA Emeritus, is a sole practitioner and Florida-based architectural firm offering a wide range of professional services to both public and private clients. His experience in architecture and construction spans over 60 years. Tom was licensed to practice architecture in Florida in 1967, and although he has worked with other architectural firms during the intervening years, he has continually kept his firm active.

Tom concentrates on two unique aspects of the built environment: “sustainable design” and "historic preservation." The best example of the principles of sustainable architecture is seen in the design of his home in Jensen Beach, Florida. The words most often used to describe the house are environmentally friendly, energy-efficient, Green Architecture, hurricane-resistant, and traditional coastal vernacular architecture. His home received the Treasure Coast Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, 2008 "Energy Efficient / Ecology Award".

Before moving to Jensen Beach in 2005, he was a principal in and co-founder of Chael, Cooper & Associates, an architectural firm specializing in urban infill and mixed-use buildings. For eight years, they worked with the nationally known town-planning firm of Dover, Kohl & Partners, providing architectural solutions for "New Urbanist" communities across America. One example of this type of work was the Entry Gates for Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida, which won the prestigious Palladio Award for Traditional Architecture, New Design and Construction, 2008.

From 1984 to 1997, Tom was the Campus Architect for Florida International University in Miami, Florida. In this role, he helped guide the University through a period of dramatic physical development, growing from 12,000 to over 30,000 students. During this time, he helped institute many energy-saving projects that continue to conserve energy and save the University millions of dollars per year.

His professional experience also includes serving as Director of Research and Design for Housing Corporation of America, a subsidiary of Alcoa Aluminum. During this time, he aided in the development of several factory-built, multi-family housing projects for thousands of families and the elderly in New York State and Florida.

Tom has additional experience as a partner in his Matrix Construction Corp., which has built many commercial and residential projects. In addition, as a partner in a development company, I provided several multi-family elderly "Turn-Key" housing projects in South Florida.

Tom holds a Bachelor's Degree from the University of Florida, School of Architecture and Fine Arts, and a Master's of Environmental Design from the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

Tom also has extensive experience as both an appointed and an elected local government official. Tom’s resume and vita provide a more in-depth discussion of these and other interests.