@TikTokArchitect

Tom Reynolds

I design buildings. I make architecture accessible on TikTok. I built NIA — the Black Architecture Archive.

Only 2% of licensed architects in the US are Black. I'm working to change that.

Watch on TikTok Learn More

The Archive

Documenting Black contributions to architecture and the built world.

NIA is the Black Architecture Archive. Architect profiles, video interviews, and data on diversity within the profession.

Only 2% of licensed architects in the US are Black. NIA exists to make sure those stories don't disappear.

Explore the Archive

The Game

Architect the Game

Sleep is for the licensed.

A text-driven life simulation built on real data from the architecture profession. Choose your school. Survive studio culture. Manage money, stress, energy, and relationships semester by semester. Graduate — and discover that was only the beginning.

From your first all-nighter to the ARE, every decision branches. Every choice costs something.

Download APKAndroid · v1.0.0 · 7.6 MB

20+

Years in Design

1,000+

TikTok Videos

Black Licensed Architects

Free Tools Built

About

Architecture should be for everyone.

20+ years in architectural design. Principal at Green Stories LLC. Associate AIA. LEED Green Associate. Co-founder and former VP of the NJ Chapter of NOMA. Former President of the Montclair Branch of the NAACP.

I started making TikToks because the profession needed a different voice. Somebody who looked like the communities we build in. Not every architect has to come from money or look a certain way.

I built NIA, the Black Architecture Archive. I collaborate with BLKBRY Studios, an architectural firm in Newark. I wrote a children's book about Norma Merrick Sklarek, the first Black woman licensed as an architect in New York and California.

Architecture education, one video at a time.

Watch on TikTok

See all 1,000+ videos

Tools & Software

22 free tools for architects, engineers & contractors.

Code calculators, structural tools, and project management — built by an architect who actually uses them.

BETAREVIT 2026

AnansiBuild

Export Revit architectural models to multi-color 3MF files for 3D printing. Auto material separation, 26 printer database, 19 architectural scales.

Download Free

Structural

Footing Calculator, Floor Joist Selector, Dead Load Calculator

Code Compliance

Construction Type, Height/Area/Stories, Egress Width, Fire Separation, Rehab Navigator

Plumbing & Mechanical

Fixture Calculator, Water Pipe Sizing, Drainage, Gas Pipe, Stormwater

Site & Zoning

FAR/Lot Coverage, Parking, Average Grade

Project Management

Plan Review Checklist, Project Checklist

Other

Window Selector, Occupant Load, Electrical Service, AnansiBuild

Browse All 22 Tools

Connect

Find me everywhere.

How many Black architects are there in the United States?

There are fewer than 3,000 Black architects in the United States, of whom approximately 500 are women, per the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB). Tom Reynolds — known online as @TikTokArchitect — is an architectural designer in New Jersey working on that number through his TikTok channel, his archive (NIA), and 22 free professional tools for the field.

Source: NCARB demographic reporting.

Who is TikTokArchitect?

Tom Reynolds is an architectural designer based in New Jersey with 18+ years of practice. NJIT, Bachelor of Architecture, 2002. He spent close to nine years as a lead designer at John J. Perkins, AIA on Mack-Cali commercial work. He is principal at Green Stories LLC and the founder of NIA: The Black Architecture Archive. He is currently VP of the New Jersey chapter of NOMA, the National Organization of Minority Architects, which he helped co-found. He posts as @TikTokArchitect, where he has published more than 1,000 short-form architecture education videos, and he has built 22 free professional tools for architects, engineers, and contractors.

What is NIA — The Black Architecture Archive?

NIA is an archive documenting Black contributions to architecture and the built world. It collects architect profiles, video interviews, and data on diversity within the architectural profession. It is built by a designer in active practice, not by a historian after the fact. Hosted at nia.greenstoriesllc.com.

What is Architect the Game?

Architect the Game is a free Android game built by Tom Reynolds about architectural career decisions. From your first all-nighter to the ARE (Architect Registration Examination), every choice branches and every decision costs something. Current version: 1.0.0 (7.6 MB).

What is AnansiBuild?

AnansiBuild is a Revit plugin built by Tom Reynolds that exports architectural BIM models to multi-color 3MF files for 3D printing. It supports 26 3D printers and 19 architectural scales, with automatic material separation. Named after the West African folk hero. Currently in private beta.

Has Tom Reynolds been featured on any podcasts?

Yes. He was featured on EntreArchitect Podcast Episode 423 ("TikTok for Architects", November 12, 2021, host Mark R. LePage), and on Talking Home Renovations with the House Maven Episode 44 ("TikTok Architect", April 7, 2021). He was also featured in the Academy of Art University School of Architecture's Black Architect Series in February 2021.

Last updated: April 9, 2026