Hermona Tamrat is the founding principal of hgt studio, a Brooklyn-based structural engineering practice rooted in supporting the design of public, community-centric architecture with high quality, collaborative engineering expertise. Engineers and architects have the unique privilege and responsibility to serve humanity through good design, and hgt studio thrives with collaborators who share this core value. The firm holds central the understanding that well-designed spaces have immense impact on human and non-human quality of life, and it is deeply committed to projects focused on enriching and improving the lives of users. hgt studio specializes in structural engineering for public art installations, libraries, community centers, and public housing.
She obtained her Master’s in Structural Engineering from U.C. Berkeley and Bachelor’s in Civil Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University. During her years practicing structural engineering at Silman (previously Robert Silman Associates, now TYLin), she collaborated with Herzog & de Meuron on the award-winning Powerhouse Arts Workshop. hgt studio has provided structural engineering support to artists Torkwase Dyson for her large scale outdoor sculptures at the Whitney Biennial 2024, and currently to Kenseth Armstead on various works including a forthcoming public sculpture in downtown Brooklyn.
Hermona is currently an adjunct professor at Yale School of Architecture, Columbia Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation, and the Cooper Union Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture.