The 2025 Hoffmann Diversity Advancement Scholarship Competition for the rehabilitation of building exteriors, has selected Christopher Chung of Yale University as its 2025 winner for his arresting, meticulously detailed drawings.
Hoffmann Architects + Engineers is a design firm specializing in the reuse of buildings and a sponsor of the Hoffmann Diversity Advancement Scholarship now in its third year.
The scholarship was established in collaboration with the Connecticut Architecture Foundation (CAF) to support students seeking degrees in architecture or engineering.
This year’s Hoffmann scholarship committee named Christopher Chung, a rising
Christopher Chung
second-year student in the Master of Architecture program at the Yale
University School of Architecture, as the recipient of the HoffmannDiversity Advancement Scholarship. Selected from a competitive applicant pool of talented, ambitious architecture and engineering students, Chung stood out for his passion for rehabilitation and reuse of buildings.
“Selecting just one of the many standout candidates to be this year’s scholarship recipient was no easy task,” said Alison Hoffmann, communications manager and chair of the Hoffmann Diversity and Inclusion Committee. “We received many inspiring applications from students drawn to architecture or engineering,” she said.
Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Chung spent most of his childhood in South Korea, where, without formal guidance, he began sketching the floorplans of apartments and counting the floors of skyscrapers.
In high school, he worked to transform the storage garage at his local church into a community kitchen, researching materials, construction techniques and building codes and then collaborating with a church member who is an engineer to realize their vision for “a true community hub.”
As an undergraduate at Tufts University, Chung advanced his interest in historic preservation and the reuse of existing structures, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Architectural Studies. To refine his understanding of classical design principles and develop his skills in hand drafting and rendering, he went on to earn a Certificate in Classical Architecture from the Institute of Classical Architecture and Art in New
York City. In a series of summer internships, he gained hands-on experience in the complexities of adhering to historic preservation standards while introducing modern techniques for restoration and energy efficiency.
“Preserving and repurposing older structures is not just about maintaining a connection to the past,” said Chung, “It’s about ensuring these buildings can continue to serve people for generations to come.”
Established through more than $35,000 in contributions from Hoffmann Architects + Engineers, along with several thousand dollars more in personal gifts from John J. Hoffmann, FAIA, and his wife, Susan Hoffmann, the Hoffmann Diversity Advancement Scholarship is also sustained through individual donations from Hoffmann employees and CAF supporters.
