Nik trained at the University of Liverpool where he gained a First Class Bachelor of Architecture Honours Degree.  In his final year he won both the Holford Award for the best written dissertation and the prestigious Reilly Medal awarded for the best Design. On graduation he travelled to Japan in order to pursue his interest in traditional Japanese architecture, working for the Antonin Raymond Studio in Tokyo.

Nik has taught at the University of Liverpool, and the University of Waterloo, Ontario, and has lectured widely.  He was External Examiner at Manchester Metropolitan University from 2001-2004, and more recently as External Examiner at Leeds Metropolitan University.  In 2005 he was invited to become an advisor to the Southwark Design Review Panel, which he now Chairs as a result of his commitment to architecture and the built environment. He has acted as a design competition advisor for bridges for the Royal Institute of British Architects, is a member of the Institute of Directors and is included in Debrett’s People of Today.