NEST was initiated by Charlotte Dubois, architect, artisan, builder, and musician. After years in conventional architectural offices, her practice evolved from abstract digital design toward a more attentive and intuitive form of architecture, influenced by John Hardy’s call to architects to "reclaim the role of the artist and create fewer boxes."

Charlotte spent years traveling through Colombia, Vietnam, Costa Rica, Morocco, and beyond. These journeys fostered an approach rooted in observation without preconceptions, questioning how we truly coexist with our surroundings. Learning from global artisans and nature itself led to hands-on experience with earth, straw, and bamboo. Working with bamboo marked a shift from straight, rational design toward a fluid, intuitive process: a movement away from rigid lines and toward gentle curves.

Her aim is to nurture connection and a sense of belonging through architecture that is thoughtful, natural, and alive. Today, NEST is growing into a collective of multi-talented people: a tribe of birds flying in from different directions

About...

The future is collective

NEST believes the future lies in cooperation. We can achieve far more together than as individuals. When spaces are shaped through inclusive processes, integrating the unique knowledge and skills of every participant architecture becomes a shared creation.

Natural building traditions worldwide remind us that building was once a communal endeavor. Through industrialization, this spirit was replaced by speed, efficiency, and individual authorship. NEST seeks to restore the collective essence of making.

Space for shared humanity

“Space is both the product and the producer of social life.” — Edward Soja

In contemporary life, spaces that are free from consumption and open to everyone are increasingly rare. Few places allow us simply to be, regardless of religion, culture, or background. NEST questions how architecture can restore these shared grounds. We are inspired by traditional typologies such as the Iraqi mudhif: a communal reed guesthouse built and maintained collectively for centuries. Our mission is to design contemporary sacred spaces: places of silence, gathering, and connection, where people can return to themselves and to one another. Architecture is approached not as a static object, but as a living social practice, strengthening the relationships between people, place, and meaning.

We seek to create architecture that belongs to everyone. NEST projects are realized through:

Collective Building: The process as a shared act of making.

Collective Life: Spaces cared for and inhabited by communities over time.

A Conference of Birds

Our practice operates as a multidisciplinary collective that grows with each project, shaped by collaboration across cultures. We see each project as a "Conference of Birds": voices from different directions gathering around a shared intention, leaving behind traces of care, knowledge, and energy.