Alex de Rijke studied at the RCA and as a student worked in London and Amsterdam before establishing dRMM (de Rijke Marsh Morgan Architects) with Philip Marsh and Sadie Morgan in 1995. Within ten years dRMM had grown into a cohort of talented graduates with an impressive series of innovative projects.

dRMM’s work is characterized by social relevance, conceptual clarity and inventive use of new materials. Their built projects have been the subject of much critical acclaim, and the practice has received many design awards. Alex combines dRMM leadership with ongoing research into materials, methods of construction and sustainable technologies.

De Rijke’s appointment as Dean of Architecture at the Royal College of Art will be explored as an opportunity for inventive students to conduct research and speculative work that not only pushes possibilities for the culture of construction but equips those students to be creative leaders in the wide field of realising architecture.

Alex’s interests include: engineered timber structures, architecture in relation to art, digital and analogue design methods, prefabricated and mobile architecture. He has practiced, taught and lectured around the world. As ‘complementary antidotes’ to architecture Alex likes to travel, make things and occasionally race motorcycles.

Professor de Rijke and the team at dRMM Architects have explored the limits  and pioneered the application of cross-laminated timber architecture in the UK. The talk will address the idea of CNC cut mass-timber buildings assembled from flatpack components, like mass produced furniture, but with variation rather than repetition.