The commissions in Christopher Grabé’s portfolio range from academic and cultural to corporate and industrial. As a designer and partner at Davis Brody Bond, Mr. Grabé has three decades of experience creating award-winning projects for these clients. He has been particularly involved in many of the firm’s large-scale academic and institutional buildings, specializing in those with complex technical and programmatic demands, as well as those with accelerated fast-track schedules. The success of this work has been recognized by AIA national, regional, and local awards. Mr. Grabé’s work is based on a continuous exploration of the themes of transparency, natural light, an expression of structure, clarity of organization, and an honest exhibition of program elements and building components. His work elevates and enriches both the lives of the users and the public via the creative and social connections established within and connections with their natural or urban sites.
His interest in product research and development, expertise in energy technologies, and innovative applications of new materials and techniques all serve to influence the projects he designs. Examples include Procter & Gamble’s Gillette MAPS in Irapuato, Mexico which received a 2013 Good Design is Good Business Award; an electrical systems facility in San Luis Potosi, Mexico and a research and development facility outside Detroit for Valeo, the global manufacturer of automotive components, both of which received Business Week / Architectural Awards. He has also designed a number of K-12 schools including the award-winning King / Robinson Magnet School in New Haven, the Eagle Academy for the NYC SCA, and the Speyer Legacy School in New York City.
Mr. Grabé has worked with the US Department of State’s Bureau of Overseas Building Operations for close to 20 years on a variety of planning and design projects ranging from site selection and the planning and design of new facilities to analyses, studies, programming assessments, existing condition surveys to expansion, reconfiguration and upgrading of existing embassies and consulates. He recently completed the design of the new US Embassy in Pristina, Kosovo, which includes a chancery, staff areas, and support facilities in a campus that is fully integrated into a new curated landscape.
