David Nelson

Senior Executive Partner, Head of Design

RCA (MA)

David Nelson is a Senior Executive Partner, Head of Design and a member of the Design Board, a position he has held since 2004. Throughout his long career with Foster + Partners, he has played a key role in shaping its creative and operational direction. He has been involved in some of the practice’s most recognisable buildings, from the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank Headquarters to Apple Park in Cupertino, as well as high profile projects in China, Singapore and Korea. As a member of the Design Board, David has an overview of every project. Each one benefits from the collective knowledge and expertise of Foster + Partners’ architects and specialist teams. The Design Board is at the heart of the design process, guiding and supporting teams, questioning, maintaining quality and focusing the practice’s collective experience at all stages. His understanding of the studio’s evolution, his open, collaborative mindset and continued leadership role has made David a key figure in Foster + Partners’ evolution; he also brings a global perspective, gained from living in Hong Kong and travelling extensively to construction sites and projects across the world.

David Nelson

In this studio our Specialist Design Services enhance the well-established role of what an architectural team has to achieve. Combining evermore diverse skills into the development of projects enriches and adds great meaning to everything we do. Continual development of shared experience is crucial.

The Troika

2011

Capella Resort

2009

ME London

2013

California State University Channel Islands

2008

Budenberg Haus, Urban Splash

2005

Hotel Silken Puerta América

2005

UAE Pavilion Milan Expo 2015

2015

Steve Jobs Theater

2017

Canary Wharf Underground Station

1999

PwC, More London

2009

McLaren Production Centre

2011

Kamakura House

2004

Masdar City

2014

Faena House

2015

Djanogly City Academy

2005

Dot, Lumina

2016

EY Headquarters

2008

Jameson House

2011

Gerling Ring

2001

Yacht Club de Monaco

2014

Arcoris Mont' Kiara

2019

Masdar Institute

2015

Hearst Headquarters

2006

House in Japan

1992

Repsol service stations

1998

Bilbao Metro

1995

Elephant House, Copenhagen Zoo

2008

Bishops Square

2005

Nanshan Technology Finance City

2019

Century Tower

1991