Nina Handelman

Growing up in the Pacific Northwest with a rooted awareness of and respect for the natural environment, it felt instinctive to pursue an education and profession studying the built environment and the complex and simultaneously delicate relationship between the two. The experience and education I have collected along the way directly informs Handelman Studio's approach in the care and design for people and place.

Handelman Studio was founded after several years in Los Angeles, working at design firms of varying size and focus. Initially moving to Los Angeles to pursue my Master's in Architecture degree from the Southern California Institute of Architecture, I remained in LA to take advantage of the vibrant and energetic design community and opportunities, and continued to develop my skills and perspective within the field.

Prior to moving to LA I worked at design firms in New York, Hawaii, and Portland, gaining exposure from and experience to a variety of people and projects. This was all building upon the foundation started at Vassar College, majoring in Environmental Studies. It was at Vassar where I began to study both architecture and issues of sustainability, focusing my major on sustainable architecture, culminating with my thesis researching and advising on a major sustainably-designed overhaul of a campus building.

Having relocated Handelman Studio to Portland, I am once again able to take advantage of the unlimited inspiration around us, in both newly formed structures as well as the natural materials and ideas surrounding us. I am excited to combine all these experiences and inspirations, and collaborate with clients unique perspectives on each project.

Handelman Studio is an ongoing study of spaces, and how we inhabit and relate to those spaces. My approach is rooted in the awareness of how we inform our surroundings through personal perspective and experience, and in turn, how both our natural and built environments affect us. These ideas are brought to every new project, creating unique spaces for distinct clients.