Designing architecture that smiles back. 
The Dutch Light

Built: 2024
Builder: NexGen Builders
Fabricators: Viator Design & Construction, 
             Sunnyside Millwork
Graphic Design: Adam Dixon
*Project completed while at Friend Set above Bailey Park in Winston-Salem’s Innovation Quarter, The Dutch Light is a 4,000-square-foot cocktail bar that glows with quiet sophistication. Drawing from the stillness and clarity of Dutch art and architecture, the design transforms the former Reynolds tobacco plant—once concrete, metal, and glass—into something softer, more human.

Warm textures and gentle layers of greenery, herbs, and blooms bring life to the industrial shell, creating a space that feels both grounded and ethereal. Anchored beneath restored skylights, the bar becomes a beacon at the center—casting light across intimate nooks and open gatherings alike.

Rooted in history, yet reaching toward a greener future, The Dutch Light invites guests to linger, connect, and see the familiar in a new light.  





A lantern of green and shadow, breathing life back into the echoes.
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Featured on Madame Architect -
Listen and Absorb: Nisha Mary Prasad on Architecture as Research and Attention to Detail

Named in Interior Design magazine for Three Saros. 2015

2025 Young Architect of the Year, American Institute of Architects Winston-Salem

2025 Educator of the Year, American Institute of Architects Winston-Salem

2025 AIA Honor Award for Harmon (Blackbird) Residence
                                                                                                                            

     
Photo by Stephanie Berbec






Nisha Mary Prasad, AIA
President - AIA Winston Salem 2026
Hi! I’m Nisha Mary Prasad. I’m a registered architect in North Carolina and New York, and I’m passionate about creating spaces that feel as good as they look. My work spans architecture, interior design, and urban design—bringing together beauty, function, and a sense of ease.

I like to design spaces that smile back—warm, welcoming environments with a clear point of view and a sense of character.  I listen, I ask questions, and I listen again — then become the hands that bring your vision into form.

For the past 15 years, I’ve also taught part-time at architecture and interior design universities and will serve as President of the AIA Winston-Salem Chapter in 2026—continuing my commitment to building community and supporting professional growth. 

       
Photo by Austin Joffe



With more than sixteen years of experience across New York City, Miami, and Winston-Salem, my work includes soulful homes, thoughtful additions, and a range of commercial environments—from workplaces to hospitality and retail. By taking the time to understand each client’s goals, I’m able to shape spaces that feel distinctly their own—modern or timeless, refined or relaxed, but always deeply personal and thoughtfully lived-in.
M.S. Architecture + Urban Design / Columbia University
B.A. Architecture / New York Institute of Technology 

Instructor - UNC Greensboro / 2016-Present
Adj. Professor - N.Y.I.T / 2011-2016




Photo by Stephanie Berbec