NORD was established in Glasgow in 2002 following the completion of the Tramway Arts Centre, which won the Architecture Grand Prix Prize at the 2001 Scottish Design Awards.

In 2011 NORD opened a second office in London. This coincides with the completion of the London 2012 Substation and the 'Shingle House' for Living Architecture as well as the recent competition win for the V&A furniture galleries.

Furthermore, NORD were recipients of the Building Design Young Architect of the Year Award (YAYA) in 2006. In 2007 NORD were awarded the title of Scottish Architect of the Year. The London 2012 Substation received an RIBA Award in 2010 and made the Stirling Prize long list.