Colm O’Brien, originally from Cork, Ireland, is an architect and urban planner based in Oslo. He is a founding partner of the studio HOLT O’BRIEN (est.2017).

HOLT O’BRIEN is a research and design studio operating in the overlapping realms of architecture and urban planning . The studio has worked on a number of exciting projects since its conception, including the overall plan for the Nyhavna Harbour area of Trondheim, the feasibility study for the Henrik Ibsen library in Skien and received 2nd prize in the International urban planning competition for the waterfront in Gjøvik.

Colm completed his B. Arch at University College Dublin and received his M.Arch at Aarhus Arkitekskolen, Denmark. His thesis project In Praise of Floods which dealt with flooding in his hometown Cork was awarded the VOLA prize for design.Before moving to Norway, Colm worked at Herzog de Meuron in Switzerland and Transform in Denmark. In Norway, Colm has worked as a project architect on a number of urban planning and architecture projects for Ola Roald Arkitektur. 

Holt O’Brien is currently conducting research on a number of topics, including the affects of the built environment on an aging society, efficient ways of building low cost senior housing in Norway and the competitiveness of small architecture studios in Norway. This research is being supported by Innovasjon Norge, Kulturrådet,NORAM, and Oslo Arkitektforening. 

Colm has also taught at a number of architecture schools including   a design studio in the Arkitekturhøyskolen Oslo with a focus on high density low rise dwellings in timber, a semester on housing and hybrid programs at Aarhus Arkitektskolen, DK and has acted as a guest critic at the Cork Centre for architectural education. Colm currently teaches in first year at Arkitekturhøyskolen Oslo

Some selected accolades

Graphic Design & Illustration Annual 2016

Vector Gold Design Annual 2015

Typographic Heart

Vanguard Noteworthy Opinion Art 2014

Graphical Taxonomy

Communication Arts

FPO Magazine

CMYK

The Stylus on Paper

ConTextual

Beautiful Design Is

Twenty-Four Hours