Trench Architecture was started by Lionel Dick in April 2022, after more than three decades in the industry.

Lionel obtained a National Diploma in Architectural Technology in 1995 from Witwatersrand Technikon (now University of Johannesburg) and a B.Tech Facilities Management qualification from Pretoria Technikon in 2003. While doing his practical work with Mark Hansen as part of his diploma between 1990 and 1993, Lionel gained experience in office management, council submission and working drawings for various residential and commercial buildings.

Lionel then moved on to Lupini Architects, where he became Italo Lupini’s “right-hand man.” During this period, from 1993 to 1998, Lionel developed as a young architectural professional working on a variety of projects including, amongst others, service stations for Engen, Shell, Sasol and Exel. He also handled many residential projects from start to finish. Other exposure included forming his own company in 1999, where he worked for a year in the domestic market. He then joined Infracom in 1999 as an architectural technologist, the principal project being the Telkom Towers Space Saver project.

In October 2003, Italo Lupini invited Lionel to return to the practice with a view to becoming a shareholder and partner. Lionel’s partnership with Lupini dissolved in 2015, after which Lionel joined Peter Bond and Associates (PBA). There, Lionel managed the architectural department where he was directly responsible for the management of 4 architectural staff in his successful team.

In March 2022, with PBA choosing to focus on their core business of business, civil and structural engineering, Lionel started Trench Architecture.

Trench Architecture initially maintained PBA’s open projects while taking on new projects with a small, dynamic team of architects & drafting professionals.