February 11 2005

By Charles Graham-Marr, Director, 3D Architects.

At around 10.00am on Boxing Day on Kho Phi Phi Island in Thailand, the tsunami took the life of Dominic Stephenson and in so doing deprived his family, friends and colleagues of a much-loved and highly valued individual. At 3D we lost a very positive, diligent and considerably talented colleague who brightened the work experience with his quiet charm and infectious smile.

We sat down with him to carry out his annual review shortly before his departure for Thailand. It was a mutually positive experience, which made us all feel good about his performance over the year and about his prospects. We recognised the strides he had made in his professional development as a Part 3 trainee and in his design talent in particular. The future was bright for Dominic, and he left the review smiling in satisfaction after a successful and enjoyable year at work and in excitement at the prospect of being re-united in Bangkok with his girlfriend, Eileen, after her two-week stay with relatives in Hong Kong.

Eileen Lee was an events co-ordinator for the RIAS and, with their careers going well and having recently bought a flat together, life was unfolding very nicely for them as a couple. It has been a consolation to their families and all those connected to them to know from phone calls home on Christmas Day that they were wonderfully happy being together in such a beautiful part of the world.

Consolations aside it remains a tragic loss however, as his mother Mary Stephenson noted, Dominic would not want people to be downcast. He would have wished for a positive response, and we are therefore very pleased that the RIAS in consultation with his family and with our support are co-ordinating an appeal for funds to be contributed in memory of Dominic and Eileen to the Save the Children Fund in order to fund redevelopment work in Thailand. Details will be published in the RIAS newsletter.

The death of someone with Dominic’s potential represents a great loss to the architectural community and I know that his family is very grateful that this is being recognised by this appeal in his name.

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