Raleigh native Thomas Crowder began his carrier as a draftsman with the firm Holloway and Reeves Architects in 1973.  In 1976 he moved to Bartholomew and Wakeham Architects and stayed there until forming ARCHITEKTUR in 1993.  Crowder is one, if not the last, of North Carolina's architects to become registered without any formal education, grandfathered under NCARB’s abolished apprenticeship program in 1984.  In the 1980s he worked with Harwell Hamilton Harris on additions and renovations to a house for NCSU Professor Duncan Stuart.  Crowder has served several  terms on the Raleigh Planning Commission and the Raleigh City Council.