In celebration of Schmidt Associates’ 50th anniversary, our Legacy Voices series honors the people who have shaped who we are. In more than 30 years as an architect, 22 of them with Schmidt Associates, Tom Ning has never lost the curiosity that drew him to it in the first place.

“I just like architecture; it’s a big puzzle to me. You get to figure out where all of the pieces are and assemble it. To me, architecture is a game, and it’s always fun to play.”

TOM NING

A Curiosity He Never Outgrew

Even as a kid, Tom knew what he wanted to be. Long before it was a career, it was a habit: drawing, building, endlessly curious about how things went together. Growing up in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Tom sought out every art and drafting class he could fit into his schedule. That early groundwork carried him to Purdue University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Architectural Engineering Technology and associate’s degrees in Interior Design and Construction Technology. He then went on to The Ohio State University for a Master of Architecture.

A simple philosophy grew out of that early curiosity, one that’s guided him ever since: architecture is art with structure, and it’s only once those rules are met that the real freedom to design opens up. That same curiosity has defined his 22 years at Schmidt Associates. As a project architect, Tom works across a wide range of project types, and he treats each one as a chance to learn something new, whether that’s gardening, 3D printing, exterior wall systems, or roofing membranes. He takes real pride in getting the details right for every Owner he works with, no matter the size or scope of the project.

A Mentor Who Shaped the Path

Tom crossed paths with another Tom early in his career. After finishing his degree at Ohio State, he went to work with Tom Neff at another firm, and years later, the two reunited at Schmidt Associates, where Neff, later a principal leading Schmidt Associates’ K-12 Studio and now retired, became a mentor to him. Tom credits Neff with teaching him how to truly listen to clients, and how the smallest details can matter most to the people who actually use a building.

Tom joined Schmidt Associates during the late Wayne Schmidt’s tenure as CEO, and the two got along right away. Their long talks about Wayne’s philosophy of practice pushed Tom to think seriously about what he wanted out of a firm, and out of his own career, a foundation that has carried through 22 years since.

Eddie Layton, project manager and mentor, has seen that same generosity firsthand:

The Tools Change, the Thinking Doesn’t

The profession has changed dramatically over the course of Tom’s career, from hand-drafting to AutoCAD and, now, Revit, with tools like Enscape that can turn a design into a rendering almost instantly. He sees real value in that shift, especially in how it helps convey ideas to Owners who think differently than architects do.

“I think everyone has an innate sense of design, and it’s about understanding how everyone’s brain works to translate a design,” Tom said. People understand and visualize design in different ways, which is exactly why those tools are so valuable, helping him convey ideas to Owners in whatever way works best for them.

Still, for all the technology has changed, Tom holds onto a simple truth about where good design actually starts. “Your brain is always going to be faster than the computer,” he said. “If you can think of the idea and then build it, that’s a great way to do it.”

Signature Projects

Every project Tom has worked on is a favorite in its own way, but two stand out when he looks back: Lake Central High School and the Lawrence Township Transportation Center.

Lake Central High School Architectural Team A $160 million transformation that removed more than half of the existing building and added 550,000 square feet of new construction, including a three-story academic wing, a 50-meter Olympic pool, a competition gymnasium, and a 1,100-seat auditorium. Construction was carefully phased so students could remain in the building throughout.

Lawrence Township Transportation Center Project Architect A new school bus transportation center designed to support MSD Lawrence Township’s fleet of 220 buses and parking for 280 staff and drivers. The building organizes the transportation department, bus drivers, bus maintenance, and building maintenance into their own dedicated areas, with offices and public-facing space at the front and the bus service bays at the back.

A Green Thumb, Freely Shared

His generosity extends well past the drafting table. Each spring, Tom brings tomato seedlings, and now peppers, basil, and flowers, into the office to share, a tradition the whole team looks forward to. For Tom, it’s simply nice to give, and seeing how much his colleagues enjoy them is what keeps him growing more each year.

Still Curious, Still Building

More than three decades in, Tom Ning still approaches his work the same way he did as a kid sketching in Fort Wayne: with curiosity, patience, and a genuine love of figuring out how the pieces fit. Whether it’s a complex building detail, a new high school, or a tray of tomato seedlings destined for the office, Tom treats it all as an invitation to learn something new and share what he finds. We’re grateful for the 22 years, and counting, he’s spent building that legacy with us.

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