2021 AIA Tampa Bay Firm Award
ABOUT
Our Story
Traction is an award-winning architecture practice based in Tampa, Florida led by married partners, Jody Beck and Ross-Alan Tisdale. After completing their undergraduate degrees at Brown and Yale, they met in Los Angeles while pursuing their Masters of Architecture at SCI-Arc, the Southern California Institute of Architecture. Before founding Traction, Jody and Ross had a wide variety of experience in the field, working at architecture firms across the country. They moved back to Tampa, Jody’s hometown, in 2007, where they eventually merged work and life – establishing their practice and raising two kids.
Our Approach
At Traction, we believe design drives how we carry out our daily lives. Our projects evolve from a weaving together of material, structure and context to create architecture that invites people to interact with it, as well as with each other. We approach each project, large and small, as an opportunity to create thoughtful spaces and bespoke experiences that are carefully tailored to the unique qualities of the site and the needs of the client. At every stage of design, we explore each project through drawing, where disparate elements — underlying narratives, site conditions, found connections — come together to shape the architecture. Our process results in the creation of compelling spaces that inspire connections to our surroundings and enliven everyday experience.
Our Services
Traction is a full-service Architectural and Interior Design practice specializing in creative problem solving for design-focused projects at a variety of scales. We have designed office spaces, custom homes, residential renovations and additions, a community center, a cultural campus and public art installations. We pride ourselves on our collaborative relationships with clients and our ability to translate their vision into compelling architectural solutions. We guide our clients through the design process from the first stages of conceptual design through completion of construction and believe that communication – whether through drawings, models, renderings or words – is the key to a successful project.
Jody Beck
AIA, LEED AP, CBC
Jody Beck founded Traction Architecture in 2010. While heading the architecture practice, she has served as an adjunct Professor at the University of South Florida, teaching courses on the history, theory, and culture of architecture.
Jody holds a Bachelor of Arts in Architectural Studies from Brown University and a Master of Architecture from SCI-Arc, the Southern California Institute of Architecture, as well as a contractor license in the state of Florida. Prior to returning to Tampa to start her own practice, Jody worked in architecture offices in New York City, Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Having grown up in Tampa, she has a unique understanding of the evolution of the region’s built environment. She is currently serving as Chair of the City of Tampa’s Architectural Review Commission, and was recently recognized by AIA Florida as a member of the 2018 class of Citizen Architects for her civic engagement and positive impact to the community.
Ross-Alan Tisdale
AIA, LEED AP, NCARB
Ross-Alan Tisdale joined Traction Architecture in 2012. Prior to that he worked at HOK’s Tampa office, where he specialized on projects centered on healthcare, science and technology.
After completing basic training as a cadet at the United States Air Force Academy, Ross transferred to Yale University where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture. He then joined the Albuquerque office of award-winning architect Antoine Predock, FAIA, whose bold work has remained a touchstone. He spent several years in Boston at an architecture and engineering firm specializing in commercial and retail projects and studied at SCI-Arc, the Southern California Institute of Architecture, where he earned a Master of Architecture.
Ross has had a lifelong passion for space architecture and has designed human habitation for the moon at the NASA Ames Research Center. In 2017, the Tampa Bay Chapter of the AIA presented him with the Eduardo Garcia award, the highest honor given to licensed architects 40 years of age or younger.