Tom Collins is an Assistant Professor of Architecture at Ball State University. He holds Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch) and Bachelor of Science (BS) in Building Sciences degrees form Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York State and Master of Architecture (M.Arch) and PhD in Sustainable Architecture degrees from the University of Oregon. Tom has been a Registered Architect since 2007, a LEED Accredited Professional since 2005, a member of the American Institute of Architects since 2001, and currently sits on the board of the Society of Building Science Educators. His interests lie at the nexus of energy, building performance, and human behavior.
Tom’s research often utilizes mixed methods and includes a study on the influence of design, building operations, and occupant behavior on plug load electricity use in campus residence halls and a recent study of indoor environmental quality in active learning classrooms. He twice received the King Medal for Architectural Research from the Architectural Research Centers Consortium. He has presented his work at national and international conferences including ARCC, EAAE, AASHE, ACEEE, ISIAQ, EDRA, RBDCC, and ZEB. He has contributed to publications such as the Green Studio Handbook and Mechanical and Electrical Equipment for Buildings.
He taught architecture courses at the Boston Architectural College from 2004-2008 and the University of Oregon from 2008-2015. Since arriving at Ball State, Tom has taught the environmental systems courses and undergraduate and graduate-level design studios. He helped establish and is the faculty co-advisor for Ball State’s ASHRAE student branch. In his teaching, he emphasizes green and net-zero energy design; integrated design thinking; hands-on learning; and group collaboration. He has been a faculty advisor for USDOE Race to Zero Competition teams, two of which have won awards at the national level.
His professional experience includes K-12 schools and high performance green laboratories. Notable projects include an award winning, LEED certified geochemistry facility for Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and the Harvard Allston Science Complex, which involved an international integrated design team.