There’s something more than just nice about NICE PROJECTS. Yes, the practice is led by two highly experienced principals and the work is diverse and beautifully resolved, but it’s the studio’s ethos that truly sets it apart.

Established in 2020 by Simone McEwan and Sacha Leong, NICE PROJECTS is a small, highly organised architecture and design studio with a global presence. Between them, McEwan and Leong bring more than 35 years of experience across large and small commercial practices, delivering projects in multiple sectors around the world.

The pair met in London at StudioIlse, where McEwan was Project Director and Leong was Head of Design. After working together on numerous projects, and independently building their respective careers, the timing aligned for them to establish their own practice.

At its core, NICE PROJECTS was founded to work with nice people and create nice projects, deliberately removing ego from the design process. As McEwan explains, “The foundations of our studio work as a balanced partnership. With Sacha as Creative Director and me as Project Director, we’ve built a structure without ego, creating a deeply respectful and collaborative culture within our small team.”

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The studio operates across multiple locations, with McEwan based in Sydney, Leong in London, and team members in London, Sydney, Singapore and Tokyo. While the time zones can be challenging, the structure allows the studio to remain responsive to clients across continents, effectively operating around the clock.

This global reach is reflected in the diversity of the studio’s work, spanning commercial, residential, retail and hospitality projects. Recently, NICE PROJECTS has been particularly active in Singapore, completing the redesign of Odette at the National Gallery Singapore.

Originally designed by Leong a decade ago, the interior of Odette has now been reimagined to mark the restaurant’s ten-year anniversary, reopening last month. “We chose a more contemporary expression,” says Leong. “The new interior features a richer, more tactile palette that emphasises craftsmanship and explores tonal variation through specialist timber veneers.”

Also underway in Singapore is a new-build tropical residential villa, developed in collaboration with architect Andra Matin. The project reframes luxury through a lens of openness and restraint. “The house is designed around landscape views to maximise natural ventilation and light,” Leong explains. “It feels like a sanctuary from the urban metropolis, an ode to gentle, elegant living centred on family life.”

In Kyoto, Japan, NICE PROJECTS recently completed the renovation of a historic teahouse, transforming it into a research and laboratory facility for the Artificial Life Institute (ALIFE). Part of a broader scientific precinct masterplan, the project required a sensitive balance between heritage conservation and advanced technological infrastructure, resulting in a highly resolved and unexpected outcome.

In London, a major project currently in planning is the new Personal Shopping Club for Selfridges. McEwan brings deep insight to the commission, having previously served as the first Design Director of Soho House and later as in-house designer at Selfridges, followed by her work with Ilse Crawford. Located on the fourth floor of the Oxford Street flagship and spanning approximately 1,500 square metres, the Club will operate more like a luxury hotel, featuring 24 private suites for personal shopping, alongside lounges, a bar, event spaces and galleries.

Beyond built projects, NICE PROJECTS also engages in installation work. One notable example is R for Repair at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, which explored repair culture as a creative act, using repurposed everyday storage boxes as the exhibition framework.

For McEwan, collaboration remains central to the studio’s success. “We deliberately resist pushing ideas in the early stages,” she says. “That allows us to fully interrogate the brief, build trust and ensure alignment with our clients from the outset, leading to a smoother and more enjoyable design process.”

Although the Sydney studio has been operational for just over a year, NICE PROJECTS already has several local projects in development. Founded during the pandemic, the practice’s steady growth reflects both resilience and clarity of purpose. With a strong commitment to people, culture and site, NICE PROJECTS is a studio on the move, and one firmly to watch.

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Photography
David Thompson