People
Patrick Nicholas
Director, B. Arch, AIA, AAA, DEP0001385, ARB NSW 6672
Patrick’s architectural career includes working with a variety of prominent architects in Sydney and Darwin before founding Patrick Nicholas Architects in 1995 and AN+A in 2012.
Involved comprehensively in the design, project management and delivery of AN+A projects, Pat calls on 30 years of local experience. This encompasses extensive client, council and builder understanding overlaid with ten years of experience in the hospitality industry and the experience gained building two houses for his family.
Pat is a creative and logical designer with a collaborative style. Working directly with clients he explores every opportunity within the brief to its fullest potential, achieving memorable outcomes each time.
Pat has a reputation for the architecture and interior design of residential, heritage, coastal and hospitality projects. His passion for art, landscape, detailing, construction and the environment drives his creative and practical approach.
As a ‘council member’ of the Sydney Eastern City Planning Panel, Pat is involved in making decisions on ‘regionally significant development’ that is valued over a capital investment value (CIV) of $30 million. He also is a member of the Design Excellence Assessment Panel of Waverley Council. These appointments are a significant acknowledgement of Pat’s expertise in the fields of architecture, planning, heritage, and urban design.
Vanessa Edema
Associate Director B.Arch. Hons UNSW
Vanessa co-founded AN+A in 2012 with Pat Nicholas after 25 years of creative partnership together at AN+A and Patrick Nicholas Architects. Vanessa’s expertise in delivering residential, hospitality and interior detailing projects is a testament to her close working relationships with clients and attention to detail.
A keen observer of landscape, places and spaces, Vanessa is creative, thoughtful and environmentally mindful in her work.
Vanessa applies her fine grained and incisive approach to the design, authority consent, documentation, project management and the construction of AN+A projects.
James Lee
Senior Associate
B.Arch, M.Arch USyd
With over 10 years of experience across a diverse range of projects — from single dwellings and multi-residential developments to office buildings and retail spaces — James has developed a broad and adaptable skill set. James worked at AN+A for 5 years previously before rejoining as a Senior Associate.
His primary focus has been on Class 2 apartment projects, where he has contributed at various stages including design competitions, development applications, construction documentation, and advice during construction phase.
Over the past two years, his work has been centred on construction documentation of large apartment projects where with attention to detail, he enjoyed the challenge of the complex coordination required between clients, consultants, certifiers, and council.
While large-scale developments have been his focus, he also has an appreciation for small, finely detailed architectural structures and spaces
Outside of work, he loves spending weekends with his family, often on a quest to find the next great coffee spot.
Vaishnavi Bopiah
Associate
B.Arch, M.Arch UNSW
Vaish is an architectural graduate from India and has been with AN+A since 2018 working on highend residential and commercial projects from design through to construction participation.
Developing her conceptual and 3D visualisation skillset at the front end of the design process has been bookended with her architectural photography of completed AN+A projects.
Vaish is an avid traveller, and has participated in design workshops in Auroville, India and at the Architectural Association, London.
With a keen interest in photography, she has been exploring residential architecture in Australia for an ongoing personal research project.
Katie Taylor
Project Co-ordinator
B.Arch, M.Arch USyd
Graduating from the University of Sydney, Katie has five years of experience working on residential and commercial projects, with a strong focus on sustainable, detail-oriented architecture and joinery. Katie’s robust foundation in design and people-oriented mindset equip her with the adaptability and insight to navigate complex architectural challenges.
Having studied abroad in Aarhus, Denmark and Stockholm, Sweden, Katie has an enriched perspective of the global design landscape. Her designs, research and written work have been published by the University of Sydney and The Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden.
In 2023, her research work led by Pritzker Prize laureates Lacaton + Vassal was exhibited as part of the Rothwell Chair in Architectural Design Leadership. She was founding member of CIRCA – the University of Sydney’s Journal of Architecture and Design, and was a member of the winning student team in the 2024 NSW Government Housing Pattern Book Competition.
In 2025, she was nominated for the Holcim Foundation Emerging Changemakers program.
Katie Fanos
Project Co-ordinator
B.Arch, M.Arch USyd
Graduating with a Masters in Architecture from the University of Sydney has provided Katie with a robust educational background that compliments her hands-on industry experience. Katie was nominated for the Architecture Industry Award and had the honour of having her student work featured in the USYD Architecture Catalogue.
Katie’s experience spans from initial concept sketches to construction documentation, encompassing both single dwellings, multi-residential buildings and commercial projects. Her enthusiastic approach combined with her in-depth knowledge of construction, details and passion for the creative design process allows her to deliver quality documentation in a timely and efficient manner.
Katie thrives on bringing to fruition her client’s vision and is renowned for crafting innovative, detail-oriented designs. With her collaborative approach with clients, councils and consultants, Katie ensures that design solutions align both with the client brief and regulatory requirements.
The Studio
AN+A is a Sydney based design firm established in 2012 by Patrick Nicholas and Vanessa Edema. Our team of six architects and designers operate from our Marys Place, Surry Hills Studio.
We employ all methods of creative communication, from hand drawn sketches, CAD and plywood models to 3D modelling.
AN+A is an A+ Practice Member of the Australian Institute of Architects and is a registered Architectural Practice with the NSW Board of Architects. Patrick Nicholas is an NSW Registered Design and Building Practitioner (DBP Act).
Our Approach
As principals we lead a team of architects and designers driven to deliver creative spatial experiences and places that belong.
We work with our clients to deliver buildings that satisfy their key objectives and exceed their expectations. We offer innovative thinking, versatile solutions, value for money, agile problem solving, environmental realism and an inclusive collaborative experience.
Clients
We value the notion that robust working relationships with our clients are the key to successful project delivery. We call this benefit the ‘creative dividend’ and are proud of our referral and repeat business rates.
Sustainability
Our aim is to meet present needs without compromising the stock of natural resources remaining for future generations by being resource efficient, minimising energy usage, designing flexible spaces with utility, and designing for long life.
We look forward to forging a creative relationship with you.