Thom Long

Professor of Architecture and Design
Hampshire College Professor Thom Long
Contact Thom

Mail Code HA
Thom Long
Emily Dickinson Hall 14
413.549.4600

Thom Long holds a B.Arch. from Roger Williams University and an M.S. in advanced architectural design from Columbia University. 

Long is a practicing architect and graphic designer. His work, in practice and theory, explores concepts of communication through and across various design disciplines. His work is highly interdisciplinary, taking on a broad range of projects including architecture, interior design, print and web design, corporate branding, film, and multimedia.

He is the owner and creative director of IdeaCo., a creative studio specializing in brand, environment, and ideation. IdeaCo. is a six-person creative team inventing unique brands, interior design experiences, and print and digital media in many different industries. Long is also a designer and collaborator with Wodiczko + Bonder, an art and architectural practice focused on public art and design; the team recently completed the Memorial for the Abolition of Slavery in Nantes, France.

He has taught architecture studios at Columbia University and the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Personal Website

Recent and Upcoming Courses

  • This studio course will be a digital design investigation into design objects, architecture and the built environment. In this course, students will develop and apply contemporary digital design and architecture skills, including sketches, plans, elevations, models, computer diagramming, and various modes of digital representation [TBD] to inter-disciplinary design problems. Students will explore a broad range of spatial concepts using digital mediums, including iterative, algorithmic and emergent design philosophies. The objective of the course is to develop unique and innovative design concepts at various scales through rigorous, open-ended, and creative computer-based design work. Students are encouraged to have taken one architectural design studio before enrolling in this course. Instructor Permission Required. Email Thom Long (tlong@hampshire.edu) for information. Permission will be granted to the first eight (8) Hampshire College students to contact Thom during the pre-registration period. The remainder of enrollment will be determined at/after the first class meeting. Keywords:Design, Architecture, Concentrator, Capstone, Studio

  • This course is geared toward Division III students and Five College seniors completing or anticipating advanced architectural or other design studio projects. The Advanced Architecture + Design Lab course provides a structured and critical creative environment for students to explore, experiment and design in both an individual and collaborative studio setting. In this course, students will develop their own individual design projects, identifying their own approach, scope and thesis, then executing their creative acts throughout the semester. As a concentrator's course, students will be expected to engage in both the creative challenges presented by the course while working on their own independent semester-long projects. This course is highly interdisciplinary in nature, yet designed for students developing projects in various areas of graphic design, industrial design, environmental studies, architecture and urban planning. This course will be marked by a brief, intense reading and discussion period, followed by both writing and design production on topics both culled from our readings and individual student projects. This course requires substantial out-of-class studio work and commitments to a rigorous schedule of production, culminating in a collective exhibition at the end of the semester. Students must have an individual project in mind or in progress at the start of the term. For non-Hampshire students, students should have an established work methodology and taken several studios in art or architectural design. Students will develop work for a collective exhibition at the end of the semester. Division II Hampshire students are welcome if space permits. Instructor Permission Required--Priority for acceptance will be given to upper-level students; Contact Thom Long at tlong@hampshire.edu for details Keywords:Design, Architecture, Concentrator, Capstone, Studio

  • Graphic design is a creative and critical practice at the intersection of communication and abstraction. The process of learning graphic design is two-fold, and students in this course will engage both areas: first, students will develop knowledge and fluency with design skills--in this case, software (Adobe Photoshop/Illustrator); second students will address the challenges of design head-on through discussion, practice, iteration, critique and experimentation. The projects will challenge students to explore raster and vector graphic forms, color theory and typography in creative, experimental ways to reach their objectives. Techniques, approaches, styles and processes for representing numbers, maps, philosophies and ideas will be introduced throughout the course. As a studio and software course, it will be fast-paced and immersive and will require a substantial amount of work outside of class time. The course will be made up of several small, fast-paced projects and culminate in one longer, more engaged print design project. KEYWORDS:Design, Studio, Graphic Design, Communication, Technology

  • The objective of this course is to introduce students to a wide range of creative design styles and methodologies across a various design disciplines. We will discuss the primary skills and philosophies surrounding "design" as concept, while delving into a few key areas of design through readings, films and studio projects. Students will be introduced to key figures in design, historic movements and influential projects. As well, students will explore the creative process through several hands-on studio-based design projects in 2d, 3d and 4d, highlighting key overlaps and differences in creative disciplines KEYWORDS:Design, Studio, Graphic Design, Architecture, Industrial Design, Technology