'We are working at 150%,' says Nimi Attanayake. 'It has been an incredible year for us.' She and husband Tim O'Callaghan have been nimtim since 2013. Their diet has been eye-catching, inventive, and often colourful, back extensions and homes from their base in East Dulwich, south east London. Their foundation of private homes, many of which have been published across the world, turned in 2020 into something more tangible in the city they grew up in. This included a mixed use feasibility study in south London, and Croydon's Brick by Brick competition for Housing for a Better World, which linked them to a network of supportive practices in the same position and led to invitations for Attanayake to join review panels and steering groups. And early this year the practice won an invited competition to re-imagine neglected plots as part of the Becontree Estate's centenary programme. It didn't look like 2020 would be a good year: 50% of its work dropped off, was cancelled or put on hold in the first lockdown and the pair had to make one person redundant. 'It was a bit touch and go in June or July. We found ourselves with a lot of time on our hands,' say O'Callaghan. They now see the value of having taken a step back from busy delivery. They had always tried to do research but last year they reworked the firm's website, showcasing larger and strategic projects, whether built or not. Tucked in a corner are happy deliveries of domestic projects. After increased posting on social media, particularly Instagram, they have over 10,000 followers. And O'Callaghan did more writing. More importantly they thought about their values and future. 'We wanted to talk about bigger ideas and to start projecting our ambitions,' says Tim. 'It was a chance to really focus on our approach and values... Listening to every voice and turning that into a unique response.'
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