{"id":6929,"date":"2025-05-31T06:46:02","date_gmt":"2025-05-31T06:46:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bespokecareers.com\/?p=6929"},"modified":"2025-06-03T06:46:01","modified_gmt":"2025-06-03T06:46:01","slug":"nimi-attanayake-on-finding-joy-rethinking-architecture-and-making-space-personal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bespokecareers.com\/articles\/nimi-attanayake-on-finding-joy-rethinking-architecture-and-making-space-personal\/","title":{"rendered":"Nimi Attanayake on struggle, rethinking architecture, and finding joy in the everyday"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"&quot;I Didn&#039;t See Myself in Architecture&quot;  - Nimi Attanayake\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/30LtUPnkpn4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Nimi Attanayake is an architect and co-founder of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nimtim.co.uk\/\">Nimtim Architects<\/a>. Nimtim\u2019s work focuses on domestic projects, beautifully crafted and full of colour and novel materials, each deeply personal to the client.<\/p>\n<p>Nimi\u2019s involved in design review panels and seen as an advocate for diversity and inclusion, ensuring equal footing for female voices from all backgrounds.<\/p>\n<h3>Why architecture?<\/h3>\n<p>It never was architecture. I\u2019ve battled with the profession and my place in it the whole way through my education. It\u2019s only later, in the last 10 or 11 years since we set up Nimtim, that I\u2019m really passionate about it. I love waking up every morning and doing what I do. I feel incredibly privileged and lucky that I get to decide what I do, or do work that brings value to me and hopefully others.<\/p>\n<p>Architecture\u2019s changed. Now, my day might look like coming to a podcast or presenting a scheme reimagining green spaces with the National Trust. I love talking about that. I like people and making architecture accessible for people. The othering nature of it, I don\u2019t like, so I avoid those environments. That\u2019s why I feel excited.<\/p>\n<h3>On early influences\u2026<\/h3>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-6991 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn-01.cms-eu-v2i.applyflow.com\/bespoke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/NIM-WITH-DOG-1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"A young child (Nimi) with dark hair and a bright, patterned jumper kneels in a grassy garden next to a large German Shepherd dog, gently resting a hand on its back. In the background, a man in a dark uniform holds a baby while standing near a clothesline and wooden sheds. The scene has a nostalgic feel, hinting at a close family moment in a suburban garden.\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn-01.cms-eu-v2i.applyflow.com\/bespoke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/NIM-WITH-DOG-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cdn-01.cms-eu-v2i.applyflow.com\/bespoke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/NIM-WITH-DOG-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cdn-01.cms-eu-v2i.applyflow.com\/bespoke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/NIM-WITH-DOG-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/cdn-01.cms-eu-v2i.applyflow.com\/bespoke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/NIM-WITH-DOG-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn-01.cms-eu-v2i.applyflow.com\/bespoke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/NIM-WITH-DOG.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>It was all around me. My family\u2019s very extended, very close. We all lived in a big house while my parents saved. One uncle was a civil engineer, another a building surveyor. They\u2019d do mad DIY projects. I\u2019d get involved, even got a beam on my head once. But I was always interested.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1563\" data-end=\"1869\">At 14, I had an older cousin who chose architecture. In my Asian family, the choices were medicine or law. Doing something creative was foreign, but they supported a profession in the built environment. I liked art, was good at maths, but didn\u2019t know what architecture was \u2013 they didn\u2019t teach it at school.<\/p>\n<h3 data-start=\"1871\" data-end=\"2346\">On architecture school\u2026<\/h3>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-6993 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn-01.cms-eu-v2i.applyflow.com\/bespoke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/GRAD.jpeg\" alt=\"Nimi at graduation with 3 family members. She is wearing grad attire.\" width=\"1900\" height=\"1161\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn-01.cms-eu-v2i.applyflow.com\/bespoke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/GRAD.jpeg 1900w, https:\/\/cdn-01.cms-eu-v2i.applyflow.com\/bespoke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/GRAD-300x183.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/cdn-01.cms-eu-v2i.applyflow.com\/bespoke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/GRAD-1024x626.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/cdn-01.cms-eu-v2i.applyflow.com\/bespoke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/GRAD-768x469.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/cdn-01.cms-eu-v2i.applyflow.com\/bespoke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/GRAD-1536x939.jpeg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1900px) 100vw, 1900px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>I started at Nottingham. It was pretty, away from London. But starting was a shock. Dropout rates were high because people didn\u2019t know what it entailed. I finished and still didn\u2019t know if it was for me. Work experience showed me most practices were run by older white men. I didn\u2019t see myself in that profession, so I took a few years out. I realised I see everything through the lens of architecture \u2013 maybe because of my education, maybe just me.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2348\" data-end=\"2495\">Part 2 at Westminster was great \u2013 more forward-thinking, you could pursue your interests, almost self-direct your education. I really enjoyed that.<\/p>\n<h3 data-start=\"2497\" data-end=\"2801\">On early career and setting up Nimtim\u2026<\/h3>\n<p>Coming out of a diploma and back into practice was hard \u2013 budgets, regulations, not creative fun. I worked in large practices. In 2009, I was made redundant in the recession, took time out to reflect, then started working on our own, and eventually set up Nimtim.<\/p>\n<p>Before Nimtim, I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, went through infertility \u2013 it really refocuses you on what\u2019s important. We couldn\u2019t do the rigid 9 to 6, or 9 to 8, with deadlines. What were we getting out of that? It was a risk \u2013 we didn\u2019t know anything about business beyond what we\u2019d learned in Part 3. We didn\u2019t have a website or any of that. But we felt our way. We\u2019re proud we built our website to be handmade, approachable, not glossy \u2013 equal in how we work with everyday people.<\/p>\n<p>Many clients didn\u2019t know what architecture was, so we explained the process. We really loved that, getting rid of jargon, making it everyday, approachable, relatable.<\/p>\n<h3 data-start=\"3549\" data-end=\"4109\">On the \u2018briefing game\u2019\u2026<\/h3>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-6989 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn-01.cms-eu-v2i.applyflow.com\/bespoke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/briefing-game-e1748925283553.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"691\" height=\"390\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn-01.cms-eu-v2i.applyflow.com\/bespoke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/briefing-game-e1748925283553.jpg 691w, https:\/\/cdn-01.cms-eu-v2i.applyflow.com\/bespoke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/briefing-game-e1748925283553-300x169.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 691px) 100vw, 691px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>At first we had standard questions, but we realised clients aren\u2019t all the same. You only get answers to what you ask. So we created something fun and playful, took out the stigma where people might not know the process or words. It\u2019s been lovely \u2013 people trust us, and feel agency in the process.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019ve used it in bigger projects too, like community engagement in forgotten green spaces. Especially when English isn\u2019t always a first language or children don\u2019t feel confident to speak up. It levels everyone up.<\/p>\n<h3 data-start=\"4111\" data-end=\"4381\">On Nimtim\u2019s approach\u2026<\/h3>\n<p>We have blank counters for clients to bring in their own culture or heritage. We steer the ship to follow RIBA stages, so we\u2019re getting relevant info at each step, not going into too much detail too soon. We shape the environment for the process.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"4383\" data-end=\"4943\">We agree on a narrative, a story everyone buys into \u2013 clients, contractors, everyone. It helps decisions. We\u2019re lucky we\u2019re small, working with small clients, so we can suggest exciting materials or textures that fit the concept.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"4383\" data-end=\"4943\">Clients might not know about cork or hempcrete \u2013 but we can propose it and show how it works. They love it. One client sniffs the sea wall every time because it smells like charred timber. Or hempcrete \u2013 they love sitting in the space because it keeps a nice temperature and buffers sound. It\u2019s a different quality they can enjoy.<\/p>\n<h3 data-start=\"4945\" data-end=\"5483\">On the connection between inside and outside\u2026<\/h3>\n<div id=\"attachment_6990\" style=\"width: 990px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-6990\" class=\"wp-image-6990 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn-01.cms-eu-v2i.applyflow.com\/bespoke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Natal-JimStephenson-4-WebRes.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"980\" height=\"676\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn-01.cms-eu-v2i.applyflow.com\/bespoke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Natal-JimStephenson-4-WebRes.jpg 980w, https:\/\/cdn-01.cms-eu-v2i.applyflow.com\/bespoke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Natal-JimStephenson-4-WebRes-300x207.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cdn-01.cms-eu-v2i.applyflow.com\/bespoke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Natal-JimStephenson-4-WebRes-768x530.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 980px) 100vw, 980px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-6990\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">&#8216;Supper Time&#8217; &#8211; A light touch, low impact addition to a home that creates a new focal point for the family. Photo by Jim Stephenson<\/p><\/div>\n<p>It\u2019s changed \u2013 people now care about how their homes can promote wellbeing. They\u2019re more aware of climate, sustainability, chemicals. In Sri Lanka, you can\u2019t separate the outside from the inside \u2013 it just flows in. Promoting natural ventilation, using healthy materials \u2013 that\u2019s part of our responsibility.<\/p>\n<p>After Grenfell, we decided to use more sustainable insulation, even though it makes walls thicker. Clients haven\u2019t pushed back. They want it \u2013 it\u2019s their life savings, and it matters.<\/p>\n<h3>On running Nimtim and the business side of things\u2026<\/h3>\n<div id=\"attachment_6994\" style=\"width: 1034px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-6994\" class=\"wp-image-6994 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn-01.cms-eu-v2i.applyflow.com\/bespoke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Nimtimstaffweb-21-e1748926113527-1024x748.jpg\" alt=\"Nimi in orange dress in office. Patting dog\" width=\"1024\" height=\"748\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn-01.cms-eu-v2i.applyflow.com\/bespoke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Nimtimstaffweb-21-e1748926113527-1024x748.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cdn-01.cms-eu-v2i.applyflow.com\/bespoke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Nimtimstaffweb-21-e1748926113527-300x219.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cdn-01.cms-eu-v2i.applyflow.com\/bespoke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Nimtimstaffweb-21-e1748926113527-768x561.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn-01.cms-eu-v2i.applyflow.com\/bespoke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Nimtimstaffweb-21-e1748926113527.jpg 1267w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-6994\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo By Megan Taylor<\/p><\/div>\n<p>We try not to be guided by how other practices are doing things \u2013 we try and lead by example. We&#8217;re married, we have two adopted children \u2013 it\u2019s a juggle. We allow flexible working, we allow working from home. We try and leave promptly. We have things like if people have to stay late, they\u2019re given TOIL. We try and create a really nice environment where we want to come into work every day. We\u2019ll have monthly soup and salad. We try and arrange lectures to go out and see together. We try and visit buildings where potentially there might be something interesting that we can take inspiration from or bring back into the practice.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1454\" data-end=\"2052\">We try not to lead the practice but encourage others to take part in it. So we try not to implement ways that are going to be rigid but let everybody shape those. For example, we invite them into the financial workings of the practice. We have regular updates, we have open salaries. We also had to recently redo our offices, which was really fun and crazy and stressful. We tried to use natural materials where possible, but also try and get everything used or secondhand so we weren\u2019t having to buy things new \u2013 to try and reduce the carbon footprint of that project.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2054\" data-end=\"2205\">I think by nature of who we are, that\u2019s how our work is kind of a reflection of who we are and our practice as well. We never intended to get more women in the practice, but it is a lovely thing. It\u2019s really, really nice that there are loads more women and I think it\u2019s a great thing every day to work with women.<\/p>\n<h3>On what\u2019s next for Nimtim\u2026<\/h3>\n<p>We\u2019re really keen to continue with the threads we\u2019re already working on. We love the domestic work \u2013 there\u2019s something so personal about it. We\u2019d like to do bigger residential projects, new builds with the same ethos and values as our smaller interventions.<\/p>\n<p>For the landscape projects, we\u2019re committed to working with communities to reimagine forgotten green spaces \u2013 places that don\u2019t get enough attention but can have such a huge impact on people\u2019s lives. COVID reminded us how important these shared spaces are, especially for people who don\u2019t have much private outdoor space.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019re also writing a book for the RIBA called Joyful Spaces. That\u2019s been a really lovely process, talking to other practices about how they create architecture that\u2019s meaningful and joyful for people.<\/p>\n<h3>On the idea of a Nimtim apartment building\u2026<\/h3>\n<p>I think it would be playful, different, maybe not to everyone\u2019s taste, but it would be right for the people who live there. It would feel personal.<\/p>\n<h3>On a Nimtim master plan\u2026<\/h3>\n<p>I don\u2019t think that can ever come from one practice alone. I think the most successful master plans involve lots of different voices and perspectives. That\u2019s how you make sure it reflects the people who will live and work there.<\/p>\n<h3>On technology and AI in architecture\u2026<\/h3>\n<p>We\u2019re still figuring that out. I think it\u2019s fair to say we\u2019re not the best at the business side of things \u2013 that\u2019s something AI could really help with. Automating the admin, helping us run the practice more efficiently \u2013 that\u2019s where it\u2019s useful.<\/p>\n<p>But when it comes to design, to engaging with people \u2013 I don\u2019t think you can automate that. It\u2019s about people. It has to be about people.<\/p>\n<h3>On advice to new architects\u2026<\/h3>\n<p>Celebrate what makes you different. Don\u2019t feel like you have to fit into a mould. Practices need fresh perspectives, they need people who see the world differently.<\/p>\n<p>Too often, architecture education pushes everyone to produce the same thing. But I want to see people who put themselves into their work \u2013 that\u2019s what brings energy and new ideas to a practice.<\/p>\n<h3>On whether she could have imagined this career\u2026<\/h3>\n<p>No, never. When I was diagnosed with cancer in 2013, everything fell apart. It was such a shock. Ten years later, to be doing work I love, to have a family, to have built something like Nimtim \u2013 it\u2019s incredible. I feel so lucky.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s not easy. In architecture, there\u2019s often this idea that you shouldn\u2019t talk about personal struggles or things outside of work. But when you do, it builds connection.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ve had clients open up to me about their own health challenges after I shared mine. It changes how we work together \u2013 it becomes more human, more real.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s those moments when someone sees themselves in a space we\u2019ve designed. When they feel like it reflects them, like they have ownership over it. That\u2019s the best feeling \u2013 that\u2019s what makes it all worthwhile.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"border-radius: 12px;\" src=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/embed\/episode\/4kupjf1nRLA3W1DX7vAqy6\/video?utm_source=generator\" width=\"496\" height=\"279\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><iframe style=\"width: 100%; max-width: 660px; overflow: hidden; border-radius: 10px;\" src=\"https:\/\/embed.podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/i-didnt-see-myself-in-architecture-nimi-attanayake\/id1760778070?i=1000710657314\" height=\"175\" frameborder=\"0\" sandbox=\"allow-forms allow-popups allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-storage-access-by-user-activation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We spoke to Nimi about how her personal and professional journeys inform her work and outlook. A must-read for anyone curious about architecture\u2019s human side.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":6932,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","footnotes":""},"categories":[21,68,69,22,67],"tags":[],"location":[],"class_list":["post-6929","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles","category-employers","category-jobseekers","category-podcast","category-students-and-graduates"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bespokecareers.com\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6929","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bespokecareers.com\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bespokecareers.com\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bespokecareers.com\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bespokecareers.com\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6929"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.bespokecareers.com\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6929\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6998,"href":"https:\/\/www.bespokecareers.com\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6929\/revisions\/6998"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bespokecareers.com\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/media\/6932"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bespokecareers.com\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6929"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bespokecareers.com\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6929"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bespokecareers.com\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6929"},{"taxonomy":"location","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bespokecareers.com\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/location?post=6929"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}