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INSIGHTS
explains: “We test out all our ideas on the relevant audience sectors to fi nd out where our ideas work and where anything might feel clumsy. Engaging with different audiences and being open, humble and ready to learn are key parts of the process.” This iterative and audience-focused methodology allows the practice to evaluate and refi ne design proposals while ensuring that diverse perspectives are considered throughout the process.
Richards emphasises the importance of communication, arguing that maintaining an open dialogue and encouraging constructive debate are essential to addressing ethical and cultural responsibilities within their work. Through collaboration and critical discussion, the studio seeks to create designs that are both inclusive and socially responsive.
PORTRAIT DETAIL The practice’s refurbishment of the National Portrait Gallery showcased iterative detail
of materials,” and more pragmatically, “consideration of construction.” Nissen expands on the approach, explaining that it is fundamentally about creating work that enhances people’s lives. She continues, “I liken the design process to creating a piece of music, where there is phrasing, rhythm and pacing, a complex series of events that communicates ideas and has meaning.” A key aspect of the studio’s approach is the translation of narrative into spatial experience. For Nissen, this is a considered and iterative process: “We make sure to start slowly! It takes time to shape and create an ‘experience’. We try and plot experience into a timeline and then test and plan what goes where.” She adds: “Workshops and meetings help us this process.” For Richards, narrative is embedded across all aspects of the practice’s work, extending beyond individual projects to the broader role of architecture itself. He says: “The translation of narrative runs through all our work, and we are also interested in our architectural work in how spaces can become a backdrop to people’s lives, sparking memory and evoking meaning.” A culture of learning and development is central to the studio’s wider ethos. The practice supports work experience placements for students from secondary school through to Master’s level, and staff also organise a range of CPD programmes covering a broad spectrum of sectors.
This is managed internally, as is the practice’s mentoring strategy. Nissen explains: “We have a loose hierarchy so that people are mentored by someone with more experience who has more of an overview.” This approach is complemented by more formal training. Nissen continues: “For example, two members of the team went to the theatre company Punchdrunk for a workshop to explore theatrical design processes. We enjoy learning.”
A culture of continuous learning is embedded within the practice, informed by Nissen’s own academic work; she has taught at university level for more than 20 years.
Design approach A commitment to humility, openness, and continual learning underpins the design method of Nissen Richards Studio. As Nissen
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Sustainability is also a central consideration within the practice. Like many contemporary architectural fi rms, the studio carefully evaluates whether new construction is necessary, prioritising the retention, adaptation, and reuse of existing buildings and materials wherever possible. Material selection forms a key aspect of this strategy. As Nissen states: “We also think about how everything that we design can have a further life within future projects. As well as moving away from materials such as plastic to things that can be reused or recycled, we additionally propose the use of very high-quality materials which are robustly durable and long- lasting.” This approach refl ects the studio’s commitment to reducing environmental impact through circular design principles, material reuse, and the specifi cation of durable, sustainable materials. Additionally, Richards continues, “In recent projects, especially in the residential sector, we have also engaged with embodied carbon specialists who work alongside our established energy and sustainability consultants to provide a more joined up approach.” The studio also actively seeks to broaden its perspective beyond individual projects through its separate platform, A Museum For Now. Nissen explains further: “We also run a separate website for ideas and discussion, where museum professionals, alongside artists (of the calibre of Jeremy Deller and Rachel Whiteread), share their insights, which ensures that our perspective is always as broad as possible.”
This exchange of ideas in turn informs the practice’s wider design process. The studio regularly undertakes workshops with clients and collaborators to test and refi ne design proposals. As Nissen explains: “On specifi c projects, we hold workshops where we test different approaches and then whittle down our ideas until we have a single approach. We explore different options for delivery too, towards achieving the same result.”
Physical and digital modelling also plays an important role in developing and communicating proposals. Nissen continues: “To test ideas out, we work carefully with both 3D physical and digital models, exploring many different ways of representing things to make sure that everything really is as people imagine and nothing is left to chance.”
Recent projects
Several recent projects exemplify the company narrative-led approach to design. Sutton Hoo, the Anglo-Saxon burial ground in Suffolk, is a benchmark project for the practice, where the team was able to combine architecture and visitor experience through a strong narrative thread across the whole site. Signifi cantly, the interpretation strategy informed wider architectural decisions, with the interpretation concept leading decision-making on the
ADF JULY/AUGUST 2026
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