Our Founder

Our founder and principal, Niki-Marie Jansson, is a doctoral researcher and Associate Lecturer at Newcastle School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape, co-leading an MArch design studio with Dr Christos Kakalis, titled ‘Quarrying a New Vernacular’, which investigates architecture as a landscaping process through the twin lenses of material and placemaking.

An alumnus of the Bartlett School of Architecture UCL and the Architectural Association, she is also a visiting tutor and reviewer at universities in London and Scotland, and is involved in initiatives that support student funding and mentorship.

Prior to founding the studio, Niki-Marie gained a range of professional experience working in niche, commercial and corporate firms. Her experience in various fields prompted an inquiry which led to her academic thesis in 2018-19, titled ‘Modern Methods of Construction: A Question of Values’. The project investigated the sustainability and quality claims of widely promoted Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) and built a counter-case for loadbearing masonry—for stone, in particular—as a potentially scalable and holistically sustainable alternative contemporary form of construction. Since corroborated by leading industry specialists, it forms the basis of her doctoral practice-based research, which through holistic systems-thinking looks to uncover the architectural and placemaking potential of indigenous building stone in sustainable UK housebuilding practice. The work is being undertaken in partnership with Historic Environment Scotland and Hutton Stone Company, with support from Historic England, the British Geological Survey, Sheffield Hallam University and the Stone Federation Great Britain.