Chung of Yale University named 2025 Hoffmann Diversity Advancement Scholarship winner

New York, NY Hoffmann’s scholarship committee named Christopher Chung, a second-year student in the Master of Architecture program at the Yale University School of Architecture, as this year’s recipient of the Hoffmann Diversity Advancement Scholarship. 

Chung stood out for his passion for rehabilitation and reuse of existing buildings, as well as his detailed drawings that illustrate the attention he devotes to historic architecture.

“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, some after experiencing the possibilities of design, such as inclusive classrooms for children or repurposed buildings for aging populations, or through overcoming adversity, including coping with eviction from a childhood home or discovering that a cousin’s family lives crammed into a single room. Many are the first in their families to attend college, and the majority are immigrants to the U.S. or are the children of immigrants. Our committee was impressed by the ways these motivated young people are driven to impact the lives of those around them by enhancing the built environment.”

Born in Boston, 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, 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 B.A. 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.

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.

The scholarship is open to applicants who are students entering or enrolled full-time in an NAAB-accredited architecture program or ABET-accredited civil or structural engineering program, and residents or full-time college/university students located in southern New England (Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island) or the eastern Mid-Atlantic (New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Washington DC, Virginia, Maryland), regions that form the core of Hoffmann’s practice. Eligible applicants identify as part of an underrepresented minority group, as defined by the State of New York.

Applicants were solicited through a joint outreach effort with CAF to college and university architecture and engineering departments, campus affinity groups, social media, and professional organizations, such as the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA). Applications were evaluated by the CAF Board and the Hoffmann Diversity and Inclusion Committee, a voluntary group of employees from varied locations, job positions, experience levels, backgrounds, identities, religious beliefs, and racial/ethnic heritage.