Intro
My name is Tazmine Khatri Loomans but you can call me Taz. I’m an architect, a writer and an advocate for sustainable building practices and community-oriented design in Phoenix. I love living in Central Phoenix and taking part in the coming of age of this city.
The Blooming Rock Blog
In this blog, I offer you all things of note about architecture in Phoenix, from tips on how to green your home in this climate to the latest on urban development to profiles of up and coming Phoenix architects and their projects.
My Story
I’m a first-generation immigrant, born in Mozambique, orginally East Indian. My parents moved our family of 8 kids to Indianapolis, IN in 1984 and toiled away making sure we got a first-rate education. In 1991, my family made the move to Arizona. I went to high school in Mesa and went on to do my bachelors and masters in Architecture at Arizona State University.
I started off my career working for Deardorff, Pang & Weymiller on the top floor of a 15-story building across from Park Central in Phoenix. Here I cut my teeth on medical tenant improvements for a few years. After finishing my Masters, I wanted to experience another city, so I went off to Pittsburgh, PA of all places. There I worked for Perkins Eastman Architects in a beautiful old converted train station in downtown. At Perkins Eastman I had the privilege of learning about adaptive reuse at it’s finest. I worked on a project where we converted an old monastery into a senior living facility. But even amongst all that history and those beautiful old buildings, eventually the gloomy weather got to me and I returned home to sunny Phoenix to work for Circle West Architects. At Circle West I was lucky enough to be involved with Market Street at DC Ranch designed by the talented Peter Koliopoulos. I later settled in with Orcutt|Winslow Architects, a firm that’s been around since the 1960′s, for six years developing my skills as a project manager, designer and green building advocate working mostly on medical office buildings. While at Orcutt|Winslow I earned my architecture license and my LEED accreditation.
Blooming Rock
At all the places I worked I learned a great deal about the practice of architecture, in particular how it relates to commercial buildings. But my real passion lies in residential design, in neighborhood improvement, and in place making. So I started my own business – Blooming Rock Development – focusing on sustainable and community oriented design and development.
In my journey of designing what I do, I discovered that I love writing about the things that matter to me. The Blooming Rock blog is a result of my passion for educating and inspiring people to live sustainably and in community in Phoenix.
So here I am, an architect and writer living a dream life with my husband Paul and my three cats, Reggie, Bamboo & Bumper in our revitalized 1960′s duplex called 3 Palms. I hope you enjoy what you read, learn something and get inspired about architecture in Phoenix through my blog. I look forward to getting to know you!