Derek Draper’s route into architecture did not begin with design theory, but with making.
Before training as an architect, he worked as an apprentice carpenter and trained in welding and metal fabrication. He began his professional career as a technician, joining a large architectural practice at a junior level and developing a detailed understanding of materials, construction and procurement long before qualifying.
Alongside practice, he studied architecture part-time at the University of Greenwich, completing his degree in 2008, his diploma with distinction in 2011 and Part III in 2012. This parallel route, working while studying, continues to shape how he approaches buildings. It begins with what is already there, how it was put together, and how it will be maintained, altered and assessed over time.
During more than a decade within a large, international practice, Derek worked on a wide range of projects delivered over extended programmes and through varied procurement routes. This included long-term work on complex educational estates, large-scale commercial developments and projects requiring careful coordination across disciplines and stakeholders.
That experience informs his current practice. Much of the work centres on existing and long-held buildings, where earlier decisions have accumulated, documentation is fragmented and regulatory expectations have shifted. His interest lies less in novelty than in clarity. He focuses on understanding inherited conditions, tracing technical logic and ensuring that new interventions remain coherent and defensible over time.
Derek is a director at Atomik, where the practice focuses on buildings that require judgement rather than formula, and works with clients who value careful thinking over quick answers.
During his studies at the University of Greenwich, Derek received a number of awards, including two nominations for the RIBA President’s Silver Medal. He has been selected as a finalist for several drawing prizes, including Architects Eye and the AJ Habitation Drawing Prize, and was named an RIBA Rising Star in 2019. He is also a regular contributor to Article 25’s annual 10×10 Drawing the City charity initiative.
