Thomas S. Marvel

Thomas S. Marvel (1935–2015) was an American architect.[1]

Life

Born on March 15, 1935, in Newburgh, New York, Marvel grew up in Washingtonville.[2][3] He earned a bachelor's degree from Dartmouth College in 1956 and attended the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University.[2][3] In 1958, he left Harvard to work with R. Buckminster Fuller, his uncle by marriage.[4] After working on housing projects in Iran and Puerto Rico, Marvel returned to Harvard and completed his master's degree in architecture in 1962.[2][3]

Marvel moved to Puerto Rico in 1959 after a three-month assignment with the International Basic Economy Corporation, a company established by Nelson A. Rockefeller to develop low-cost housing in developing countries.[2][3] He utilized local materials, such as cement from local limestone, and designed buildings suited to the tropical environment.[2][5] His architectural approach included natural ventilation, natural lighting, and the incorporation of gardens.[2]

[2][3]

Books

  • The Architecture of the Parish Churches of Puerto Rico[2]
  • Antonin Nechodoma, 1877-1928: The Prairie School in the Caribbean[2]

Awards and recognition

In 1990, Marvel received the Henry Klumb Award from the Society of Architects and Landscape Architects of Puerto Rico.[2]

References

  1. ^ "Marvel, Thomas S. | Encyclopedia.com". www.encyclopedia.com.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Grimes, William (November 7, 2015). "Thomas S. Marvel, Architect of the Tropical, Dies at 80" – via NYTimes.com.
  3. ^ a b c d e Newspaper, Architect's (February 12, 2016). "Thomas S. Marvel, 1935-2015".
  4. ^ Desk, News (November 9, 2015). "THOMAS S. MARVEL (1935–2015)". {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  5. ^ "Cancer claims life of influential Caribbean modernist architect - Commercial Interior Design". November 12, 2015.