-Nick Oriss

Master of Architecture

Master of Landscape Architecture

Washington University in St. Louis

Sam Fox School of Design and Visual Arts

Bachelor of Science in Architecture

Kent State University

College of Architecture and Environmental Design

About Me

My name is Nick Oriss, and I am an artist serving as a public servant, or in more negotiable terms, I am a designer.

I was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, a small corner of this world which I will always consider my home. During my childhood I was raised into a condition of viewing the world around me in a manner of mutual respect and curiosity. I was taught to ask questions about my interests, to investigate topics which appeared novel or foreign, and most importantly, I was encouraged to speak with others to further my understanding of life outside of my own perspective.

My inherent love and interest for art, literature and history compelled me to pursue an undergraduate degree in architecture once my time in the realm of public education had concluded. I attended Kent State University, where after four years of tireless investigation, along with countless sleepless nights and a semester of cultural exposure in Europe, I finally earned my Bachelors of Science in Architecture. This title brought with it a wide breadth of understanding towards not only the practical realm of the architectural practice, but also a developmental shift in how I read new environments.

My intrigue towards these topics, as well as my own professional ambition, lead me to continue my education at Washington University in St. Louis, where I pursued a dual Master Degree in Architecture and Landscape Architecture. While studying at Wash U, I attempted to continue to embrace and expose myself to a variety of new viewpoints and understandings so that I might continue to adapt my own assemblage of rational sensibilities. In doing so, I developed several new passions which have greatly influenced my work in the fields of design, most notably my love for growing and cultivating native tree species. Apart from growing my garden at an exponential rate, my time in St. Louis also allowed me to solidify my belief that there is not a concrete distinction between the realms of design, but rather they exist as a symbiotic amalgamation of practices, ideologies, and interests which support and uplift one another.

Luckily, I found that that this perspective was one which resonated between myself and the professional realm as well, and I was able to find a home for these ideas at firms in both St. Louis and my home town of Pittsburgh.

I began my professional career during the spring of 2019 with a local firm by the name of Paragon Architecture, where i was able to build the foundations of my professional practice. During my time with Paragon, I had the opportunity to work on a number of projects within the K-12 and Higher Education markets, including several classroom additions, district master plans, and FEMA safe rooms, as well as a number of smaller projects within the Commercial and Municipal sectors.

In the fall of 2022 I made the difficult decision to leave Paragon and move back home to Pittsburgh, where I began working with R3A Architecture, the firm I have called home ever since. At R3A I have been able to not only continue the development of my architectural practice, learning more about the business side of the discipline, but have also began progressively establishing my landscape architectural sensibilities as well. While I have largely continued working within similar project markets as my time in St. Louis, having the opportunity to see this work directly impact my hometown has made all of the hard work worth it.

In my free time outside of office, I enjoy taking weekend hikes in the local parks with my fiancé Sabrina, running games of DnD with my friends from college, wholeheartedly supporting my beloved Steelers and Penguins, and relaxing with our little zoo of animals Sienna, Ace and Stush at our home in Bridgeville.

As I look to develop my long term plans, I wish to allow my work to not only express these personal perceptions but more critically, to accurately represent the communities in which they are situated. My essential yearning to understand people from their own perspectives has driven my approach to design in an almost transcendental manner, believing that accurate and effective design considerations begin with a comprehensive understanding of the people and societies which they service. I wish to continue to develop these beliefs and practices as my professional career develops, and hope that my work will have a lasting and positive impact on the communities with which I have the pleasure of working with.

At the end of the day, I am simply an artist hoping to serve the public with my work, and I hope that my work will become reflective of this responsibility and ambition.