Kate Coghlan
Associate / Senior Architect
Kate is an experienced architect and illustrator with a strong foundation in the creative arts and approach to design rooted in narrative discourse.
She received a first class honours from Edinburgh College of Art in 2009, a Postgradute Diploma in Architecture from L’Ecole Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture de Paris-Belleville/Edinburgh University in 2010 and qualified with distinction at London Metropolitan University in 2016.
Kate has worked on many international projects within NRS, including the lead designer for the permanent gallery Opplyst in the National Library of Norway in Oslo. Also a new exhibition about the history of book history for the same institution in 2019. Other exhibition work has included Hooked, the first exhibition for the new Science Gallery in London.
Prior to joining Nissen Richards Studio in 2017, Kate worked for Bennetts Associates Architects where she gained experience on a wide range of projects of varying scales and sectors but focused particularly on cultural refurbishment undertaking several schemes from concept to completion. Most recently she led a major fit-out scheme for Guardian News and Media – a civic venture creating a public forum for ‘debate, culture and curiosity’ and played a key role on The Edinburgh Futures Institute – conversion of an A-listed former Royal Infirmary for the University of Edinburgh. She was also an inaugural Employee Director of the practice’s Employee Ownership Trust.
Outside project work Kate has guest-tutored at Cambridge University, written for publications, exhibited photography; undertaken curatorial work for Historic Environment Scotland (then RCAHMS) and sat on the steering committee of the Knowledge Quarter. She received a number of awards and recognitions for her student work which focused on the relationship between narrative and the built environment and particularly enjoys working at the juncture between contemporary civic programming and heritage architecture.
Kate is teaching the postgraduate Architecture Unit3 at London Metropolitan University alongside other members of NRS, exploring themes from the work of the studio.