Ian Nicholson

Ian Nicholson is an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Real Estate program at Columbia GSAPP, where he has been teaching since 2019 with a focus on the intersections and overlaps between architecture, development, sustainability, and revitalization.

Ian is currently a Senior Consultant on the Cities team at Buro Happold. In this role, Ian primarily works on early-stage strategy and visioning for economic development and recreation projects throughout upstate NY under the Reimagine the Canals program, a $300 million, 5-year program being implemented by the NY Power Authority and NY Canal Corporation to reinvigorate the historic Erie Canal and the many communities along it. These projects range from a mixed-use “pocket neighborhood” development in Canastota to a world-class whitewater park at the Cayuga Lake outlet to a pedestrian bridge over the canal to link SUNY Brockport to the Empire State Trail. Also in upstate NY, Ian has worked on investment strategies for the revitalization of Artpark and for the redevelopment of Binghamton Castle.

Prior to joining Buro Happold, Ian practiced architecture at small firms in NYC and the Hudson Valley, working primarily on custom residential projects, including a house designed to Living Building standards in Cold Spring. Ian is a licensed architect in the state of NY and holds a B. Arch from Syracuse University and an M.S. RED from Columbia GSAPP.