A Profile of Christopher James

"An unusual combination of artist, architect and engineer."

Christopher is an unusual combination of artist, architect and engineer, by training, and more important, by inclination.

"A unique marriage of art and science."

It is this unique marriage of art and science, with an obsessive concern for detail that you can see and feel in every piece of work.

They are 'Signature' pieces.

"A wealth of design and building experience from past commissions."

He brings to his practice, "pureSilica" a wealth of design and building experience from past commissions for some of the country's wealthiest patrons, including two Royal Duchies, an Ambassador, Robert Sangster and over five hundred other private clients.

"A fervent admirer of Charles Rennie Mackintosh."

Christopher is a fervent admirer of Charles Rennie Mackintosh and his 'total holistic' approach to design. Not for him a standard item from a manufacturer's catalogue; Christopher designs and manufacturers every item, from a bathroom tap to a wardrobe interior, as part of a cohesive design strategy using the most advanced CAM) solutions.
Christopher's emergence as Renaissance man started early and has continued to develop throughout his working career.

"Christopher's unique talents."

Born in Hampshire (UK), the youngest of three children, it was not long before the young Christopher's unique talents started to be noticed. At Dover Grammar School for Boys an academic programme went hand in hand with helping to design and build small two-seater yachts for the school sailing club.

Out of school, weekends were spent at the local college of art, his local church and at the Royal Marine School of Music at Deal where he studied under distinguished musicians from the Halle and Royal Philharmonic Orchestras.

Family pressure meant that a place at the Royal College of Art to study fashion design was not taken up. Instead, Christopher began training as an articled clerk under John Sutcliffe in Manchester, the then leading rating expert in the north-west. The experience gained in examining stepped brick foundations, dry rot under floorboards and the beauties of Kings Post Trusses in Victorian houses, was to stand him in good stead in later life.

In 1976 Christopher was head hunted by a Manchester firm of builders and was given his first Directorship at the age of twenty-five.

"It was his passion for design."

It was his passion for design that led him first to a small architectural practice in Cheshire, who specialised in modern architecture and then, in 1984, to a new firm of property developers headed by John Kidd of Ryman and Kidd the London-based stationers.

"Only one final destination for Christopher's many talents."

However, there was always only one final destination for Christopher's many talents and that was in his own practice, which was set up in the early 1990's with the mantra "optima-beatis" - 'the very best, for the fortunate few', ...to design for a small, but discerning clientele, who demanded, appreciated and could afford the very best.

"pureSilica" was born."

Some five years ago, after a major shift in direction, "pureSilica" was born. The inspiration behind the practice, not altogether surprisingly, is the 15th century visionary, Leonardo da Vinci; scientist, painter and engineer so admired by Christopher.
Christopher is undoubtedly one of the country's leading CAAD architectural engineers, recognising and exploiting to the full, the advantages of the computer age.

"Unique computerised surveying."

His own unique computerised surveying and full size parametric modelling solutions, utilising "Nurb Surfaces" (non uniform rational bezier spline surfaces - for the technically oriented) enabling every minute item to be built, tested and pre-assembled in the controlled environment of the workshop, safe in the knowledge that once on site, every component will fit with guaranteed precision.

"They are able to share Christopher's vision."

Finally a Christopher James client does not have to trust their imagination to see what the finished article will look like. They are able to share Christopher's vision from the beginning.

"A vision that is unique, beautiful and quite rare."

As many have discovered, it is a vision that is unique, beautiful and quite rare.

Please email Christopher directly to discuss your requirements.

'Further Reading - ...and they're all made out of ticky tacky'