Christian Dimbleby joins Nordic practice after 20 years at passivhaus specialist Architype

White Arkitekter has hired an associate at passivhaus specialist Architype as its new UK head of sustainability.

Christian Dimbleby has joined the Swedish practice after two decades at Architype designing low-carbon schemes including Hackbridge Primary School and the Enterprise Centre at the University of East Anglia.

Since 2022 he has also worked with the UK Net Zero Carbon Building Standard looking at best practice data and helping to set 2050 operational energy targets.

Christian Dimbleby_cred Rafael Ferrés Echavarren

Christian Dimbleby has joined White Arkitekter after two decades at Architype

He is a frequent speaker on sustainable design at universities and campaign groups including Architects Declare.

Dimbleby will drive sustainable practices across White Arkitekter’s UK portfolio, which includes the under-construction Velindre Cancer Centre in Wales which is aiming to be the UK’s most sustainable hospital.

The firm’s London studio director Michael Woodford said Dimbleby’s “wealth of experience and expertise in delivering low energy and net-zero buildings is invaluable as we work towards achieving our sustainability goals and addressing the climate emergency head on.”

Dimbelby added: “I’ve long admired White’s Arkitekter’s work with timber, especially with the Sara Kulturhus in Skellefteå, Sweden. 

“But more than it just being about the material choice, this project demonstrates the practice’s wider sustainable vision in delivering low carbon and beautiful buildings. 

“My work has always sought to make a better future for all, so I’m very excited to help support White’s vision to deliver all carbon neutral buildings by 2030.”

White Arkitekter is the biggest practice in Scandinavia with 600 staff employed across 16 offices in Sweden, Norway, Germany and the UK.

Recent projects by its 30-strong London team include the Gascoigne East and West schemes in Barking for the council’s housing development arm Be First, which was completed by contractor Willmott Dixon in 2023.

The firm is also working with O’DonnellBrown Architects and Ekkist on the Crichton Project, a cultural centre in Dumfries, Scotland.

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