Christopher C.M. Lee

Christopher Lee is the co-founder and principal of Serie Architects London, Mumbai and Singapore, and Design Critic in Architecture at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design. He previously served as the Arthur Rotch Design Critic in Architecture, Associate Professor in Practice of Urban Design (2013-20) and Design Critic (2011-12) at the GSD. Prior to that he was the Director of the AA Projective Cities MPhil Programme (2010-12) and AA Diploma and Intermediate Unit Master (2002-09­). Lee graduated with the AA Diploma (Honours) from the AA, received the RIBA President’s Medal Commendation Award, and his Doctor of Philosophy in Architecture and Urbanism from the Berlage Institute and TU Delft. He also served as the Mayor of London’s Design Advocate.

The work of Serie is underpinned by the exploration of the problem of type and the city, with particular emphasis on the renewed relevance of typological reasoning. His research and teaching focus on the typologies of urbanization, in response to climate adaptation and a globalized discourse on architecture and urbanism.

His distinctive and contextual designs have been recognized through many prestigious awards, including the President’s Design Award Singapore 2023, The International Highrise Award 2022/23, Domus 50 Best Architecture Firms 2022, World Architecture Festival Best Mixed-use Building Award 2019, Blueprint Award 2019, BD Young Architect of the Year Award, Architectural Record Design Vanguard and the Leading European Architects Review’s 10 visionary architects for the new decade. He is currently working on a string of high-profile, civic, cultural and campus research buildings, including the Singapore Science Park Cluster 1, and two tall buildings in Earls Court, London. He has completed the new Singapore State Courts, Shrimad Rajchandra Ashram, Sentosa Sensoryscape, Net Zero Energy School of Design & Environment 4, National University of Singapore, Housing & Development Board’s Oasis Terraces, Singapore, and the Jameel Art Centre, Dubai.

Christopher Lee is the author of Common Frameworks: Rethinking the Developmental City in China, Working in Series and co-authored Typological Formations: Renewable Building Types and the City. He also co-edited Wiley Academy Architectural Design Issue Typological Urbanism: Projective Cities. Christopher Lee lectures widely and the works of Serie have been exhibited as a travelling solo exhibition at Hong Kong University Shanghai Architecture Gallery, Shanghai in 2009 and culminated in the Architectural Association School of Architecture in November 2010.