AJ 40 under 40: nimtim architects
18 December 2020 By Rob Wilson, illustration by Simon Hayes
The AJ 40 under 40 practice founded by Nimal Attanayake and Timothy O’Callaghan made the 2019 AJ Small Projects shortlist with its Cork House
Nimtim lays emphasis on the process of design, as much as the finished building. The practice values users’ involvement in every project. It is a matter, they say of ‘co-creation … asking questions, playing games, testing scenarios’.
Nimal Attanayake, 39, who previously worked at Penoyre & Prasad and Hawkins\Brown, and Timothy O’Callaghan, also 39, who had stints at OMA and David Chipperfield Architects, founded the practice in 2014. It followed Nimal’s diagnosis and recovery from cancer, which inspired their decision to create a ‘relatable, approachable and supportive’ practice, committed to ‘a healthy work/life balance’ and ‘adding social value’.