Speaking to a packed Perrins Hall, Tom reflected upon his schooldays, later life and amazing career as an Architect, Critic, Broadcaster, Presenter and Lecturer.

His address focussed on embracing and adapting the inevitability of change - a super message as our newest OEs look to take their next exciting steps outside the walls of RGS Worcester. It was a particular pleasure to hear that some of Tom's closest friends to date are from his Schooldays and to hear of the amazing impact some of his experiences and teachers here had. Tom even took time to speak to some of our aspiring Architects, offering parcitcal advice and a real insight into the demands of the subject. 

Tom is a writer, academic and broadcaster about cities, architecture, geographies and visual culture. He teaches urban and architectural history and theory at University College London and Central St Martins (University of the Arts). Tom has written and presented many series for television, including the BBC’s The Great Interior Design Challenge, Channel 4’s The Secret Life of Buildings, and the BBC’s The Culture Show and Saving Britain’s Past; and many radio documentaries, podcasts and series, including BBC Radio 4’s The Design Dimension. He is currently design judge on the Channel 4 design-and-make competition series Handmade. Tom is the author of books including The Age of Spectacle: the rise and fall of iconic architecture (Windmill Books, 2017), and the official guide to the architecture of 2012’s Olympic Games, The Architecture of London 2012: Vision, Design, Legacy (John Wiley & Sons, 2012). He was for a decade architecture and design critic for The Times newspaper, and, before that, was deputy homes and design editor at The Guardian and head of exhibitions at the Royal Institute of British Architects. He has long written for a wide range of publications including Esquire, The Guardian, GQ, Wallpaper and New Statesman. Tom is an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects, and a trustee of the London Festival of Architecture.

A huge thank you to Tom for being such an integral part of the day, and for so generously giving us his time to share his many incredible and valuable experiences.