Christopher trained at Oxford School of Architecture, qualifying as a Chartered Architect in 1986. He has practiced for the last 28 years, principally in the Henley-on-Thames area. Christopher developed Tapp Associates as a general architectural practice but has more recently specialised in substantial, individual houses, particularly along the flood plane of the River Thames. See Chris' Portfolio.
All designs are the product of a wide range of influences from the site and its outlook to the client’s brief. Therefore the results are often very different. Christopher has no “house style” but prefers to produce results that reflect the needs of each project and client.
Good design should reflect the basic “first principles” of construction. Christopher has worked on many older and listed buildings and has a strong grounding in traditional construction, which informs good innovation.
Most commonly Christopher’s designs use natural materials with an emphasis on the use of structural timber but he is principally a modernist and so uses these materials in a way that celebrates the possibilities of the twenty first century.
Energy conservation has become mainstream in construction but with emphasis on the finished result’s performance. Christopher prefers to extend this concern for the environment where possible to reductions in the embedded energy and waste in the building process through careful detailing and material selections.