Nicholas Leahy

“Design should have positive, demonstrable impact on people’s lives and the places we live. Through a process that places people at the heart of the solution, we observe and seek to really understand their needs and the impact on the planet. Design is not a monologue; it is a dialogue, one that results in a creative response that helps make sense of our world.”

Nick sees great design as rooted in the everyday experience. To him, design is the medium through which we process and engage with the world around us. In his role as Co-CEO, Nick inspires the firm’s creative talent and champions our mission to continually innovate and explore how design can ennoble the human experience. Nick’s work ranges from large-scale master plans to intimate exhibit designs and includes civic buildings, performing arts centers, museums, and institutional facilities across the globe. Distinguished for his considered design sensibility, Nick meticulously examines each site’s relationship to its environment, history, and intended use. He seeks to bring honesty and clarity of intention to projects of all scales, ensuring every possibility has been investigated for a human-centric design solution.

Serving as a design leader for the entire firm, Nick preaches that everything we do is design. He mentors staff to explore design to its fullest potential on every project. Nick believes innovative design can only be built on a solid foundation of expertise and with a collaborative, analytical approach. He is involved in all aspects of the design process from initial concepts to execution with a particular focus on craft and the importance of how a design idea is executed, particularly now in the age of climate change.