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Profile

  • Built-environment professional with over six years’ international experience across housing, heritage, commercial, and government schemes, including a 60,000 sq ft Government HQ. Alongside project delivery, I contribute to practice culture through line management and mentoring, leading structured training and supporting early-career development.

  • I believe buildings should be designed with care for the people who will inhabit, maintain and negotiate them long after completion. My work focuses on early-stage strategy, material intelligence and systems that strengthen long-term performance in real, everyday use.

  • My approach is grounded in craft and cultural awareness, shaped by early training as a luthier’s apprentice in Hong Kong, where I restored clarinets and lutes and designed a custom electric cello later trialled by the Hong Kong Philharmonic. I later documented vernacular housing along the Tibetan border in Yunnan - experiences that continue to inform how I think about materiality, construction logic and the social life of buildings.

  • Experienced in residential refurbishment and property management through delivering two South West London projects, with responsibility for budgets, contractors, utilities, and dispute resolution. Strong coordination skills developed across design delivery and multidisciplinary teams.

  • Actively engaged in youth outreach as a mentor for Westminster’s City Lions, and in the wider profession through interviewing and academic critique. Currently pursuing ARB/NCARB licensure through the Mutual Recognition Agreement, while continuing to deepen my capabilities in project delivery, stakeholder coordination, and client-facing leadership.

Selected Career Highlights

  • Awards & Recognition, Child Graddon Lewis (2024–2025) – Recipient of the Rookie Rockstar Award (2024) and Graddon Award for Best Drawing (2025), recognising leadership, major bids and projects (including a South London masterplan and 60,000 sq ft Government HQ), and excellence in architectural illustration.

  • Build The Way Line Manager & Mentor, Child Graddon Lewis (2025) - Selected as line manager and mentor for a nine-month traineeship widening access into architecture. Led structured coaching, developed director-endorsed training resources, and coordinated development plans with senior leadership.

  • Residential Refurbishments & Property Management, South West London (2023–24) - Led two ~£100k residential refurbishments from sourcing through construction. Continue to manage both assets, overseeing utilities investigations, dispute resolution and ongoing maintenance.

  • Published Design & Cultural Projects, London (2024–2026) - Contributed to a five-storey Georgian townhouse restoration (featured in Architecture Today) and a members’ club in Islington (featured in Vogue, Wallpaper, Frame, OnOffice and The Spaces).

  • Editorial Profile (2021) -Featured in Madame Architect’s “Creative Complements” and “Day’s With” series (2020), profiling emerging designers and design perspectives.

Education

  • Royal College of Art, London – MA Interior Design • Head of Programme Prize recipient

  • Cornell University, New York – B.Arch (5-Year Program, RIBA Part I & II Equivalent)

  • The Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL, London – Part 3 (Lecture Series only)

  • Chinese International School, Hong Kong – International Baccalaureate (IB)

Professional Memberships & Affiliations

  • NCARB (National Council of Architectural Registration Boards) – Member since 2018 • Completed required AXP hours in 2020

  • New London Architecture – NextGen Member (2024–Present)

  • Trinity College London – Associate (ATCL Diploma, Cello Performance, 2012)

Technical skills

  • Advanced: Revit, Rhino, Adobe Creative Suite, Procreate, Enscape, VuCity

  • Intermediate: NBS, COBie, AutoCAD, SketchUp, V-Ray, Twinmotion, MicroStation

  • Beginner: 3ds Max, Grasshopper, Vectorworks

Professional Experience

Child Graddon Lewis • Architectural Assistant • London • March 2024 - Present

  • Operating across feasibility, planning and Stage 4 delivery on complex housing, civic and commercial projects, driving technical coordination, compliance strategy and systems improvements that strengthen delivery performance.

  • National Commercial Bakery - New Build (Conservation Area), The Avenue, Southampton (Stage 1-3) • January 2026 - Present

    • Leading design development and client engagement for a new-build commercial scheme within a coastal Conservation Area, balancing planning sensitivity, accessibility compliance and commercial drivers.

    • Independently delivering client presentations and design options (pitched and flat roof strategies), coordinating drawing packages and mentoring junior staff on digital workflows.

    • Resolved planning and compliance risks through integration of covered cycle storage, Part M-compliant walkways and clarified site circulation, forming a cohesive architectural strategy recognised internally for clarity and robustness.

    • Initiated early-stage manufacturer engagement and technical benchmarking across brick and standing seam systems, assessing heritage materiality, marine corrosion classifications (C3/C4), warranties and cost to de-risk specification prior to planning submission.

  • Pedro Street – Affordable Housing Scheme, Hackney, East London (Stage 2 – May 2025 to June 2025, Nov 2025 - Present)

    • Supported Section 73 application and led compliance reviews against Employer’s Requirements, Hackney New Build Design Specifications, Part M and GLA standards. Produced coordinated Stage 3+ packages with structural, MEP and fire consultants, contributing to core redesign achieving M4(2)/M4(3) compliance.

    • Expanded technical scope across external doors (PAS 24/Secured by Design, FD30S), NBS specifications, kitchen layouts, flat typologies and vertical circulation documentation addressing Part K/M requirements.

    • Supported vertical circulation updates arising from revised fire strategy and Building Control advice, coordinating drawing revisions across plans, sections and elevations.

  • Government HQ Building in Portsmouth (Stage 2 - Stage 4) • July 2024 - August 2025

    • Produced approximately 70% of the planning drawing package and authored an Inclusive Design Guidelines benchmarking study informing compliance strategy. Delivered targeted research-led due diligence, including bird-deterrence studies influencing façade development.

    • At Stages 3–4, coordinated comprehensive drawing packages across architecture, façade and roof, leading 95% of value-engineering updates while maintaining Employer’s Requirements and BREEAM Outstanding compliance. Resolved complex technical issues including stair balustrade detailing and façade scheduling discrepancies.

    • Advanced Revit workflows to improve delivery accuracy, resolving NIA/GIA discrepancies and introducing colour-coded elevation filters. Implemented issuance trackers and change-annotation systems later adopted team-wide.

    • Achieved unanimous planning consent (Nov 2024). Following project curtailment in 2025, supported practice continuity and resource reallocation.

  • Early-Stage Strategy, Feasibility & Masterplanning - East Croydon Conversion, Purfleet Town Centre & Confidential South London Masterplan (Stage 0-1) • March 2024 - November 2025

    • Led pre-application and feasibility studies for office-to-residential and co-living conversions, undertaking planning policy research, context analysis and massing strategies to guide client decisions.

    • Contributed to Stage 0 masterplanning for Purfleet-on-Thames and a 650-unit mixed-use scheme in South London, producing rapid visualisations and supporting tenure-based costing, GIA/GEA/NIA analysis and viability studies.

  • Additional Mixed Use Planning & Retail Delivery Packages (Stage 2/Stage 4) • March 2025 - Sept 2025

    • Delivered high-volume planning and retail rollout packages across mixed-use schemes, producing 67 coordinated planning drawings for Station Road (Harrow) and resolving NIA/GIA discrepancies to ensure submission accuracy.

    • Independently led Stage 4 tender delivery across 18+ UK retail sites for a national eyewear brand, coordinating consultants and establishing repeatable workflows to improve rollout efficiency and consistency.

Chris Dyson Architects • Architectural Assistant & Interior Designer • London • Jul 2022 – Mar 2023

(Joined on a summer contract (July–September 2022) and returned to the practice from November 2023 to March 2024.)

  • Contributed across multiple listed and cultural projects at varying stages of delivery.

  • On a Grade II listed Georgian townhouse refurbishment at Devonshire Square (5,100 sf, Stages 4–5), joined during Stage 5 to support coordinated drawing and schedule updates, including fire strategy plans, electrical setting-out drawings and FF&E schedules. The project was featured in Architecture Today (2026).

  • For Flitcroft Street (8,700 sf, Stages 2–6), produced survey-based drawings and licensing submissions for Camden Council, coordinating closely with the building surveyor throughout design and construction.

  • Led planning-stage documentation and consultant coordination for a Grade II listed Victorian house extension at Belsize Lane (Stages 2–3), supporting pre-application strategy and submission.

Project Management, Client Representation & Freelance Architectural Services • Part Time • London/New York • September 2019 - Present

  • Undertake client representation, residential refurbishment and interior design projects alongside full-time practice.

  • Client Representative & Residential Refurbishment (March 2023 – July 2024) - Led two full residential refurbishments (~£100k each) from property sourcing and planning through tender and construction, representing overseas clients and coordinating consultants, contractors and freeholders. Projects included adapting a home for ageing in place and reconfiguring a Victorian flat for a young professional.

  • Property Management (Ongoing) - Provide oversight across multiple flats, resolving complex issues including a 367-day boundary dispute, a 500%+ water-usage investigation, building-wide pest escalation and compliance-led entrance door replacement, acting as lead resident–contractor liaison.

  • Planning Application (September – October 2024) - Delivered a full drawings package and planning submission for a rear AC installation (approved April 2025).

  • Kasawoo – Interior Designer (Part Time) (April – September 2023) - Collaborated on interiors and FF&E for LOOM, a neighbourhood members’ club combining fitness, co-working and social spaces, supporting site coordination and construction administration. The project was featured in Vogue, Wallpaper, Frame and The Spaces.

Gensler • Architectural Assistant • New York • Jul 2018 – May 2020
(Joined as a Summer Architectural Assistant in 2017 and returned full-time from July 2018 to May 2020.)

  • AT&T Xandr HQ – Corporate Interiors, NYC — Supported design across all phases of a major HQ fit-out, contributing to client presentations, leading tender documentation for one half of the building, and independently delivering the office pantry package. Assisted with construction documentation, sketches, RFIs, and joinery and finish reviews.

  • Financial Services Firm HQ – Buffalo, NY — Supported design and delivery of a multi-floor headquarters, producing space planning, tender documentation, and visualisations. Designed the feature stair, a key architectural element.

  • Financial Services Firm – Hong Kong (FF&E & Design Development) — Assisted with FF&E selection, showroom coordination, and finish/furniture presentations tailored to the client’s hospitality-driven workplace strategy.

  • Small Renovations – Lead / Solo Project Architect — Led multiple corporate interior renovations (Deloitte Harborside, Capital One, Ares Capital, Deloitte Charlotte), managing tender and filing drawings, consultant coordination, documentation, and construction support.

  • One Citi HQ – NYC (Part I) — Supported design development and documentation for the client centre, contributing to FF&E presentations, renderings, and construction packages.

Earlier Experience • Architectural Assistant

  • Slade Architecture • New York • Sep 2016 – Nov 2017 — Supported workplace and retail fit-outs, developing user experience diagrams, storefront layouts, and custom joinery.

  • Llewelyn Davies • Hong Kong • May – Aug 2014 — Produced schematic design drawings and renderings for education and civic projects, including The Quarry Bay School and Hong Kong University Library.

Leadership

  • Build The Way • Mentor & Manager • London • Oct 2025 - Present

    • Promoted from line manager to formal mentor within the firm’s nine-month traineeship and selected for management training in recognition of leadership potential and consistent performance.

    • Designed and implemented a structured development framework to strengthen professional standards, communication and industry readiness. Created scalable resources — including portfolio workshops, communication guides and reporting templates — later adopted beyond the programme and reused across wider practice and RIBA-related initiatives.

    • Lead structured weekly coaching with clear expectations around accountability and workflow, introducing progress tracking and feedback systems that elevated programme consistency and junior confidence.

    • Shifted the programme from one-to-one mentoring toward systems-based oversight, strengthening delegation, resilience and long-term continuity.

  • Child Graddon Lewis • Leadership in Firm-wide Initiatives • London • March 2024 - Present

    • Thought Leadership & Industry Visibility - Delivered the analytical “Fish Disco” presentation on Hinkley Point C, positioned internally as thought leadership and later becoming the first staff-led analytical feature shared across CGL’s social media platforms. Pitched and co-led the winning London Festival of Architecture installation, I Am Not a Robot, strengthening the practice’s public profile. Actively engage industry networks through NLA NextGen and initiated a Madame Architect feature pitch to advocate for senior voices within the practice.

    • Recognition & Professional Growth - Recipient of the Graddon Award for Best Digital Drawing (2025) and the Rookie Rockstar Award (2024) for leadership and delivery across multiple live projects.

    • Training, Mentorship & Studio Culture - Developed firm-wide training resources, including a Portfolio Best Practice workshop and communication frameworks. Led cross-team technical reviews, mentored work-experience students, co-led Westminster Council’s City Lions workshop and contributed to wellbeing and morale initiatives across the studio.

  • Royal College of Art • Institutional & Public Leadership • London • Sept 2021 - Sept 2023

    • Led Inside/Out, the RCA’s only student-run lecture series, heading a five-person team to deliver bi-weekly talks with internationally recognised designers. Managed programming, speaker invitations, logistics and marketing for events ranging from intimate discussions to webinars with 1,300+ attendees, culminating in a 2023 finale at the Serpentine Pavilion. Drove substantial audience growth through targeted outreach and digital strategy.

    • Concurrently elected as MA Interior Design Programme Representative for two consecutive years, advocating for studio improvements that secured upgraded furniture, expanded model-making space, additional storage and extended studio/shop hours. Led orientation workshops and portfolio sessions for 50+ incoming master’s students.

  • Gensler • Leadership in Firm-wide Initiatives • New York • Sept 2018 - Aug 2027

    • Founded a cross-firm networking initiative and presented research to Gensler’s Inclusivity Network, leading studio and firm-wide events that strengthened collaboration and practice culture at scale.

    • Previously selected as Project Leader for the Groundswell x Gensler Summer Studio, leading a team to deliver the 500th mural installation in New York. Designed a public label system celebrating 100+ murals; the project was selected as one of four for citywide display and featured in Architectural Digest.

  • Cornell AAP • Creative Grants & Community Leadership • Ithaca, NY • March 2014 - April 2017

    • Two-time grant recipient from the Cornell Council for the Arts, selected to collaborate with artist Caroline Woolard to design furniture for the 2016 CCA Biennale and awarded funding for the Spring 2017 exhibition Doors.

    • Served as Head of Marketing and Documentation for Dragon Day (2014), Cornell Architecture’s long-standing annual tradition celebrating camaraderie and studio culture through the design and public procession of a large-scale student-built dragon. Led communications and visual documentation to strengthen participation and visibility across the college community.

Publications & Exhibitions

  • Devonshire Square (with Chris Dyson Architects) – Featured in Architecture Today, (“Reinventing one of the City’s last grand townhouses”) (Jan 2026).

  • Loom Club, Islington (with Kasawoo) – Featured in Vogue, Wallpaper, FRAME, OnOffice, and FX Magazine (2024–25).

  • Royal College of Art – Exhibited at Graduate Show & Online Showcase, Truman Brewery (2023); Open Studios/WIP Shows (2022–23). Projects also featured on @Models_Architecture (113k followers, 2022) and in the RCA Newsletter.

  • Royal Academy – Translations | John Hejduk's Prison House exhibited at the Ronald and Rita McAulay Gallery (Mar–May 2022).

  • Xandr, New York (with Gensler) – Recognised by Crain’s New York Business (“Coolest Offices in NY – Retrofit”, Dec 2020) and finalist in NYCxDESIGN Awards (Corporate Office, May 2020).

  • Madame Architect – Featured in “Creative Complements” and “Day’s With” series on emerging designers (Aug 2020).

  • Architectural Digest – Groundswell 500th mural project recognised in “These Designs Have Made the World a Better Place” (Dec 2017).

  • Association Vol. 8 & 12 – small.family drawings featured (2021) and Typhoon Submarine competition entry (2016).

  • Model Perspectives: Structure, Architecture & Culture – CRAB Studio’s Abedian School of Architecture model featured (2016).

  • Cornell Journal of Architecture | Issue 10: Spirits – Editor (youngest in journal’s history), 2014–15.

Voluntary Roles

  • City Lions, Westminster Council – Mentor (Nov 2025–Present) - Selected by CGL to mentor a 14/15-year-old student through City Lions, a creative youth programme providing early exposure to careers in design, culture and the built environment. Support includes 1-2x a month, portfolio development, architectural thinking and confidence-building.

  • Cornell University – B.Arch Interviewer (Oct 2020–Present) - Selected to interview and recommend candidates for Cornell’s Bachelor of Architecture program.

  • Royal College of Art – Guest Critic & Future Practices Panel (Jul 2024) - Reviewed student work, led mock interviews, and shared insights on transitioning to professional practice.

  • Industry Networking Initiative, New York (2018–19) - Founded and ran quarterly networking events for 100+ early-career professionals (under 30) across real estate, construction, architecture, interior design, and built-environment consultancy firms; resulted in invitations to Women in Architecture (AIA) meetings.

  • Open House New York – Volunteer (2016) - Led public tours of 26 Broadway, highlighting architectural history and urban context.

Related Experience

  • small.family • Freelance illustrator (Part Time) • London • June 2020 - August 2024 - Founded small.family, a hand-drawn architectural figure collection challenging the lack of diversity in renderings. Produced custom entourage illustrations for clients including David Baker Architects. Built skills in self-marketing, client management, and running a profitable side business.

  • Retail & Customer Experience Roles • London • Oct 2021 – Sept 2023 - Worked part-time in customer-facing roles at the Royal College of Art Shop and lululemon, advising customers, managing sales and inventory (Shopify), and delivering high-quality service in fast-paced environments. Recognised for strong sales performance and inclusive, community-focused customer engagement.

  • Chinese Exploration and Research Society • Cultural Preservation Intern • Yunnan, China (Tibetan Border)/Hong Kong • May 2015 - Dec 2015 - Camera Assistant for National Geographic explorers at three CERS expedition sites. Assisted in the documentation of Tibetan vernacular housing and villages.

  • Cornell AAP • Teaching & Media Roles (Part-Time) • Ithaca, New York • Jan 2014 – Aug 2017 - Digital fabrication teaching assistant (laser cutting, CNC, 3D printing) and student photographer for AAP events and study-abroad programmes (Rome, NYC). Led graduating class media and documentation, managing visual identity and photography workflows.

  • Luthier Hong Kong • Woodworking Apprentice (Part-Time) • Hong Kong • Aug 2011 - Aug 2012 - Apprenticed under luthier Kelvin Cheng, assisting in the restoration of clarinets and lutes and developing precision craftsmanship, woodworking skills and professional workshop discipline. Designed and fabricated a custom electric cello for women, later trialled by the Hong Kong Philharmonic. The project received the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme Personal Project Award (2010/2011).

Professional Development & Upskilling

Built Environment & Practice

  • Columbia University (via Coursera) — Construction Management Specialization (May - June 2020)

  • CIC/CSCS Health & Safety Exam – Construction Industry Council (Oct 2024–Oct 2029)

  • Fundamentals of Gerontology – American Society on Aging & USC Davis School of Gerontology

  • Disability Awareness and Support – University of Pittsburgh (Jun–Oct 2020)

  • An Introduction to Accessibility and Inclusive Design – University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (Jun–Oct 2020)

Digital, Strategy & AI

  • Google Prompting Essentials Specialization (via Coursera) — Google Career Certificates (Dec 2025 - Jan 2026)

  • Introduction to Marketing – University of Pennsylvania (Jun–Jul 2020)