Nicholas McWhirter, AIA is a licensed architect with expertise in conceptual design, design research, visualization, graphic design, and photography. He is a Design Principal at SHM Architects in Dallas, Texas.Nick is a 2003 graduate of Texas A&M University and holds a Bachelor of Environmental Design with a minor in Art & Architectural History. He also earned a Master of Architecture degree from The University of Texas at Arlington and graduated in 2005.McWhirter was honored with the “Alan Stacell Award for Design Excellence” while at Texas A&M, an award given in memory of one of his great mentors. He has been awarded twice by AIA Dallas: a Merit Award for his team’s proposal of the “Dallas Center for Architecture Design Competition” in 2008, and a First Place Award for his team’s entry in “A Temporary Façade: Veiling the Statler Hilton” competition in 2009. In 2012, he led a team that received the Grand Prize for their stop-motion hand drawn animation in the “Dallas Complete Streets Visual Essay Contest.” Photography has been one of Nick’s avocations since early high school. His photos were published in a hardcover book published by Anthony Bourdain (Ecco/Harper Collins) about Texas BBQ in 2013 called “The Prophets of Smoked Meat” written by Daniel Vaughn. His passion for architectural photography has led to work published in Texas Architect Magazine, and he’s had the pleasure of documenting several SHM projects, including St. Francis Chapel, which won a Faith & Form Design Award in 2016.Among Nick’s other diverse interests, he is an early classical music geek, contemporary art enthusiast, and bánh mì sandwich lover. An active member at First United Methodist Church of Dallas, he serves there as Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees and Building Committee. He is an east Dallas native, a proud fifth-generation Texan, and lives in Lake Highlands with his wife and two sons.