Nigel grew up in the leafy southern suburbs of Sydney where steep terrain and rugged bushland gave rise to an eclectic mix of interesting housing. Nigel’s father was an engineer, and it was not uncommon for building plans to be unrolled on the dining table after dinner. It wasn’t long before Nigel started drawing his own plans and designing his own buildings.
In high school, Nigel had the opportunity to study in Japan as an exchange student where he saw first hand, the work of great architects such as Tadao Ando and Toyo Ito. Nigel developed a passion for Architecture. He continued to draw, design, and explore Architecture, this time in the back of his Japanese Classics book!
“Nigel is good at maths, but he could do better if he didn’t draw houses in the back of his maths book”.
-Wendy Cornish, teacher,
Class 2a, Oatley Public School, 1974
