Nicola is a NYC-based architect, educator, and researcher. She has worked in New York, Melbourne, and Tokyo, with a particular focus on public libraries, cultural institutions, and public organizations. In addition to her role as an Adjunct Assistant Professor at The Cooper Union's Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture, she practices through her NYC-based design studio, Baci Baci, and her architecture and research practice, Sens.

Sens is focused on material preservation, reuse, and innovation, often in collaboration with artists and community groups. The practice’s projects and research are responsive to environmental and cultural contexts, while supporting care, community, and long-term ecological responsibility. Sens was co-founded by Nicola Cortese, Lauren Crockett, and Stephanie Pahnis, longtime collaborators who together founded Caliper Journal, an independent architecture publication, in 2017.
 
Originally from Melbourne, Australia, Nicola received her Bachelor of Architectural Design and Master of Architecture from RMIT University, where she was the recipient of the Anne Butler Memorial Prize. She is an alumna of the School of Visual Arts’ Design Research, Writing, and Criticism Residency and has taught across undergraduate and graduate programs at RMIT University and the University of Melbourne. Her work and writing have appeared in Architecture Australia, Art + Australia, and Assemble Papers. She is a NEW INC member, the New Museum’s cultural incubator for art, design, and technology, and was formerly co-Editor-in-Chief of Caliper Journal.

Nicola's CV is available here.