Welcome Christopher – Interview

We are delighted to welcome Christopher to the L E  P team as a new Part 2 Architectural Assistant, and it has been wonderful to get to know him. But we sat down and asked him a few questions, to help you find out more about the real Christopher…

What has your career looked like before L E P?

“I am from Kent originally, and graduated from UCA’s Canterbury School of Architecture in 2014 with a Degree and Masters with distinction, so it is good to be back after 10 years. I first went to China in 2012, on an internship in Shanghai, and I returned to work in Shanghai after my Masters.

Apart from one year back in the UK, I have lived in China ever since, and was based in Beijing for the last 8 years. I worked for a small practice, working on projects spanning from pop-up stores to masterplanning whole cities. One particularly cool achievement was we came second in the competition to design Indonesia’s new capital city, and we had to present our proposal in front of the President, that was a real highlight.”

What does life look like for you outside of work now you’re back in the UK?

“I have been really trying to get my son into sports, especially football, cricket, pingpong, and badminton.”

Which of the L E P values (Creative, Collaborative, Knowledgeable, Authentic, and Caring) is most important to you?

“I think Creative is the one that is most important to me, this job is all about knowing how to express your creativity through your knowledge and expertise.”

What type of projects are you excited to work on?

“I have a mainly commercial and industrial background, so apart from getting trained up on Revit (I have a Rhino background), I am excited to work on Heritage and smaller-scale residential projects as this isn’t something you really get experience of in China.”

Do you have a favourite architect?

“Frank Gehry really inspired me as a teenager. Lots of members of my family work in construction, but his buildings really opened up my horizons to what architecture could be, the sculptural possibilities got me hooked. Then, later on when I visited Barcelona, seeing the Sagrada Familia and Gaudi’s work, that really takes it to another level.”

And finally, and most importantly, what is your favourite biscuit?

“Having not had them for ages, I have really gone crazy for milk chocolate digestives (with a cup of tea) since coming back from China!”