RESUME: TOM WALKER

129 Columbia St #4R, Brooklyn, New York, NY 11231   /    telwalker23@gmail.com   /    917-285-6886

PROFILE

Although I have spent most of my life in Hong Kong and the UK, I was born in New York in 1987 to British parents and therefore hold dual US/UK nationality. Having worked as an intern in New York, and recently completed my Masters in Architecture at the Oxford School of Architecture, I have relocated to New York and am seeking employment with an architectural practice.

Prior to commencing my postgraduate studies, I spent one year working as an intern for Messana O’Rorke Architects in New York, where I was involded in a diverse range of tasks. Key projects included Phoenix House, a luxury 3,000 sq. ft. high end residence in the Arizona desert that has recently featured in GA Houses 2013; and the MO’R Signature Collection: Building Blocks, a range of bespoke kitchen and bathroom fixtures which are now sold in the US and internationally.

Initially hired as an intern, I benefited greatly from working in a small team, and was promoted to a freelance position during my time there. My responsibilites included design development in conjunction with project architects as well as the technical detailing, production information and site inspections required to bring these projects to a successful conclusion. I was also responsible for the redesign and management of the new company website

My key professional experience in the UK was working as an architectural assistant at UK Homeworks, a local developer, to convert various ‘un-loved’ properties of historic and architectural merit into contemporary apartments. This experience provided me with a strong overview of the more practical qualities required to be an architect, and to lead a project.

I have recently completed my MArchD at the Oxford School of Architecture in the UK. In my Research Led Design studio, I sought to explore the approach and processes of other artistic disciplines, as well as investigate materials and technologies through intensive physical and computerized experimentation.

My thesis explored how the informal cycle of production and consumption, that exists in many slum communities across the world, delivers desireable forms of social interaction. This understanding was then applied to Balfron Tower, a 27-storey residential building located in East London. Through a radical retro-fitting, the tower becomes devoted to the production and consumption of tea, the quintessential  British drink. Four fingers project out of the building for production, and three cuts into the building provide tea rooms for its consumption.

This follows last year’s studies, where I specialized in Urban Design, which explored extensively the notion of street legibility and population density through my proposed 9 hectare masterplan for the west of Oxford, UK.

During my postgraduate studies, I was also selected as a guest critic for 1st and 3rd year undergraduate students. This was a valuable and enjoyable experience, which also demonstrated that my tutors valued my opinions and were confident in using me as a role model.

INTERESTS

I have long been fascinated by travelling and all it has to offer. In my pre-university ‘gap year’ I backpacked around Africa and Asia, and subsequently participated in the 2009 Mongol Rally, where myself and two friends drove 5,500 miles from London to Mongolia in a temperamental 1-litre car over 6 weeks, raising $3000 for charity in the process.

From a young age I have always been a keen sportsman having taken part in numnerous team and individual events. During my time at school I played for the rugby and cricket teams, but my real passion is for soccer. Having played for local teams wherever I have lived, as well as coaching junior teams in England, it is perhaps my greatest source of skills in group teamwork.