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Founded in 2017 by Nina Murrell, AIA, LEED AP to build on more than 20 years of award-winning cultural and educational facility planning and design leadership, MODA partners with mission-driven organizations and businesses to create meaningful, transformative places for education, work, community and culture.

As sole practitioner, Nina Murrell ensures every client has personalized attention from start to finish and every design reflects her clients' unique goals and aspirations.  Her clients rave about her ability to listen and truly understand their wishes - and her ability to translate those wishes into functional, beautiful, and inspiring places.

It is Nina's ability to truly hear what her clients are describing that sets her apart from other architects. This skill makes her an excellent partner for turning amorphous, hard-to-describe ideas into designs and beloved places for living, working, and learning.

MODA | Murrell Office for Development and Architecture LLC is located in Austin, Texas and is HUB / WBE Certified by the City of Austin and Texas Comptroller.

Let's turn air
into solid.

NINA MURRELL, AIA, LEED AP, NCARB

Founding Principal Architect

A Rice University graduate and Fulbright Scholar practicing architecture since 1996, Nina Murrell's roles prior to founding MODA include New England Market Sector Leader in Education+Culture for SMRT and Design Director / Southcentral Regional Education+Culture Leader for Gensler. In these and earlier roles with Lord Aeck & Sargent, Stanley Beaman & Sears, and Harrison Kornberg, Nina managed and designed large, complex projects for universities, museums, private schools, and independent school districts. The relationships she grew with clients and colleagues in those roles are cherished to this day - and she keeps in touch!

Her published research on audience engagement and the roles of cultural facilities in their communities combined with her involvement in several cultural / educational facility associations to give her the pulse on trends in programs, space use, visitor experience design. The insight she provides her clients is additionally influenced by her leadership roles in commercial real estate associations, empowering her clients to fine tune organizational market positioning while planning for corresponding program and facilities growth.

Nina is a certified facilitator, recognized for her success in shepherding diverse+divergent groups to consensus and shared vision. While catalyzing stakeholder contributions, she leads with a collaborative 'what if' approach that helps her clients try on opportunities for mission-advancing program and spatial synergies that delight visitors, support staff satisfaction and productivity, and optimize construction budgets.

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ARCHITECTURAL
PLANNING AND DESIGN SERVICES

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REAL ESTATE
DEVELOPMENT
SERVICES

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RESEARCH +
FACILITATION
SERVICES

Services
Projects

ARTS + CULTURE

Private Artist's Gallery
Private Artist's Studio
Private Artist's Studio
Private Artist's Home and Art Tile Studio
Art Museum
Art Gallery
Wedding Venue
Music Venue
Martial Arts and Community Space
Community Movie Night
Haute Spot Music and Events Venue Central Canopy
Haute Spot Music and Events Venue Bird's Eye View
Haute Spot Music and Events Venue

COMMERCIAL

Greyrock Office Building and Coworking Space
Haute Spot Music and Event Venue
Haute Spot Music and Event Venue
Haute Spot Music and Event Venue
Wedding Venue
Music Venue
Martial Arts Studio
Martial Arts Studio

RESIDENTIAL

Adams Hill Residence
Adams Hill Residence
Adams Hill Residence
Linton Residence
Linton Residence
Town Mountain Residence
Town Mountain Residence
Woodvale Residence
Woodvale Residence
Woodvale Residence
Woodvale Residence
Woodvale Residence
Woodvale Residence
Woodvale Residence
Starnes Mixed-Use Triplex
Starnes Mixed-Use Triplex
"Nina was an amazing addition to our team when we were building out our concert venue just North of Austin! She led the entire ideation, architecture and interior design for the project. She also brought in an amazing team to help with the landscape architecture as well. She understood our desire for the space to be natural (keep all the trees) as well as warm and welcoming. And most important, functional. We went on a path of 4 different variations, and she was patient as priorities continued to change over and over again. In the end, the building and property were nothing short of world class. I am biased, but it is my favorite place in the world to enjoy live music and it was all brought to life by Nina and we will forever be grateful for her passion, patience and kindness throughout the process."

Jeff Haynes, Founder of Haute Spot Music and Event Center

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