Düsseldorf: Director - Ruprecht Melder, talks about what its like to work at Chapman Taylor

Ruprecht Melder joined Chapman Taylor 19 years ago in the London office.

After 3 years in the London office Ruprecht moved to Düsseldorf and in 2013 was appointed a Director.

What and where did you study?

Architecture at the Technical University of Munich, graduating in 1995.
 

What level of qualification do you have as an Architect?

Master Degree in Architecture.
 

Where did you work before joining Chapman Taylor?

I worked for Wieland and Braun, Hesselberger und Partner, both in Bavaria, Germany. We worked mainly on residential and office projects.
 

Why did you choose Chapman Taylor as the company to work for?

In 1995 Chapman Taylor were looking to establish a German team in their London design studio. A colleague recommended me for an interview and soon after I moved from Munich to London.

There were two reasons why I wanted to work for Chapman Taylor. Firstly, Chapman Taylor is a global practice with big, innovative and exciting projects to work on and secondly, I wanted to work in booming London!
 

What do you love about being an Architect?

I find being an architect at Chapman Taylor fascinating because of the diverse work we undertake. Our projects tend to be large and complicated, and it is important to have a holistic view of a project and not just be focused on architectural design. We are not just dealing with architecture and urban design, we also have to understand and integrate many other design aspects such as sustainability and commercial viability into a project. We have a responsibility to clients, and the built environment, and to integrate all these elements into the planning and design process; this is what makes my job so interesting.
 

What does your week as an Architect look like?

At the beginning of the week our management team review the current project list and tasks for the week ahead. We then discuss strategies for the future growth of our practice. Tuesday is my day for preparing concepts for client meetings which usually take place mid-week, often in other parts of Germany. The rest of the time I am back in our design studio working with our project design teams.
 

What has been the highlight of your time at Chapman Taylor so far?

After working 19 years for Chapman Taylor there have been many highlights and innovative projects I am proud of.  Having a project finished is always a great moment for an architect. At openings I am always proud to see the result of the enormous amount of energy our design studio has put into a project from inception to completion. Over time it is always rewarding to see the commercial success of our projects and growth in our clients business as a result of this.
 

What is the most interesting thing you have learnt in your time working at Chapman Taylor?

Chapman Taylor place great emphasis on keeping up with current design knowledge and developments within the construction industry.  This forward thinking approach, and the search for new knowledge and skills, not only helps each individual architect develop personally but helps maintain our practice at the forefront of our industry.