Ann Nisbet Studio

Work has commenced on our garden annex project in New Abbey, in Dumfries. The new building is located within the New Abbey Conservation Area and is situated within the grounds of a late 16th century bastle house, which was sympathetically restored to create a private home about twenty years ago, by our clients.

The new garden annex has been designed to be located within the established garden. A quiet building that compliments and sits in harmony with the existing A listed building.

We are are seeking a qualified and enthusiastic Part 1 Architectural Assistant or recently graduated Part 2 Architectural Assistant to join our studio. The initial contract will be for 3 months (with a view to extending)

You’ll work on a range of single houses, housing, and non-domestic projects across Scotland.

We’re looking for someone who can create beautiful 3d images, sketches and models for projects currently at early design stages. There will also be opportunities to be involved in projects at a variety of stages, including Stage 4 and Construction.

Required Skills:
Experienced in Sketch-up, Photoshop, InDesign, Word, and Excel
Experience of Vectorworks is preferred but not essential.

How to Apply:

Applicants must be eligible to work in the UK.

Please send a covering letter outlining your suitability for the role, CV and examples of work (Max 10mb) to [email protected]

We are an equal opportunities employer and actively seek and welcome applications from all sections of our society.

Salary subject to experience

We are delighted to hear that Cuddymoss, our 2023 Doolan Award Winner's film has been selected for the Best Rural Film Award for the ArchiShorts 2024 Film Competition! A massive congratulations to Jim Stephenson (https://clickclickjim.com/) for his outstanding filmography. Architectural design by Ann Nisbet Studio the film of Cuddymoss will now be shown at the 2024 ArchiShorts screening in Winnipeg, a great showcase of Scottish Architecture on an International Level!

The Architecture and Design Film Festival (A+DFF) is the only film festival in Canada that is dedicated to architecture and design and invites entrants to enter a two-minute movie about architecture or the built environment. Find out more here: https://adff.ca/archishorts/
and the film here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-8aqlSG7_Q

This International Women’s Day, we are working with the wonderfully resourceful and active Applecross Community! Later today, we are hosting a consultation event with Applecross Community Company to explore opportunities for new homes, business units and shared community spaces in Applecross. We are very much looking forward to meeting everyone tonight and tomorrow!

We love ‘The ‘Stepping Stones Applecross’ photograph, as it make’s us think of resilience, determination, activism & the ambition to overcome challenges!

Ann, Cathy & Fay

We're so pleased that our West Balkello Farm project has been shortlisted for this year's RIAS Awards, alongside many incredible architecture projects.
Congratulations to our client's Sandra, Neil, Lewis, Gregor & Mary (Three generations of the Caul family). Thank you for trusting us with your multi-generational home.
A huge well done to the rest of the design team, main contractor and everyone involved in the project.

Tamsie Thomson, chief executive of RIAS, commented that the shortlist is “diverse and intriguing” and represents “one of the strongest for many years.”

We look forward to meeting the RIAS judging panel, when they visit the project in the next few weeks
Photos: David Barbour

The Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland

It’s been a busy start to 2024! We took the opportunity to make the most of the beautiful weather in early January (before the snow and storms) to get out and visit some sites and projects.
Fay travelled to visit a new project on Islay. A retrofit of a series of existing building(s), which are located within one of Islay’s coastal conservation villages. We’re all very excited about this project and looking forward to the next stages.

Thanks to Ellie Strathaki for this wonderful article in Wallpaper Magazine about Cuddymoss winning the Doolan Award.

2023 Doolan Best Building award goes to Cuddymoss by Ann Nisbet Studio The 2023 Doolan Best Building award is given to Cuddymoss, a ruin in north Ayrshire transformed into Scotland's finest building of the year

We needed yesterday to take this all in…. It’s incredible that Cuddymoss has won the Doolan Award for the Best Building in Scotland 2023!

Thank you to the Doolan Family, the The Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland, and the judging panel Ellie Strathaki, Tracy Meller and Chris Stewart for the recognition and for your wonderful comments:

"It's a project that the jury felt came as close to perfection for its typology as we've seen,"

"[It's] an extraordinary exercise in modesty and restraint. It's a beautifully detailed building,"

"We were slightly lost for words"

Congratulations to the team involved:
Ann Nisbet Studio: Ann Nisbet, Fay Goodwin, and Jenny Barr
Structural Engineer:
Main Contractor: Lawrie Construction
Energy Consultant: Arun Energy

And all the sub-contractors and suppliers involved in the project.
Thanks to North Ayrshire Planning & Building Control for their support.

It was such a privilege to work with our client on this project. His ideas about being a custodian rather than the owner of the ruin, set the direction for this whole project. It has been a truly wonderful experience, and we look forward to the next small interventions on the wider site.

We could not think of a better way to celebrate the studio’s tenth year, than for Cuddymoss to be the first one-off house to win the Andrew Doolan Award for Best Building in Scotland.

Link in comments to the film announcing the winning project.

Photos: Jim Stephenson

We’re very proud of architect Fay Goodwin, who has qualified as a Certified Passive House Designer. Fay has worked incredibly hard juggling project work and studying for the exam over the last few months. Well done Fay - a brilliant achievement.

We are delighted to have received both a Saltire Society Housing Design Award and the CIOB Award for Good Housing for our Harmless House project. We’re delighted for Kathy and Richie (and looks like Iggy is pleased too)

Congratulations to the project team:
Project Architect Fay Goodwin,
Structural Engineers: Narro Associates - Christina Barrass
Quantity Surveyor: _BCC - Derek Robertson
Main Contractor: Smart Group UK

Thank you to everyone involved at the The Saltire Society, the panel of judges, Mike Angus (Chair) and the Housing Minister Paul McLennan for presenting the awards. Well done to all the other shortlisted and winning teams.

We are delighted that our Cuddymoss project has been recognised in the longlist for the Dezeen Awards 2023. It’s wonderful to see our Cuddymoss project alongside an international longlist, including projects in Mexico, Germany, Chile, New Zealand, Spain and Austria.

Longlisted projects have been selected from over 4,800 entries from 94 countries for the sixth edition of Dezeen Awards, which celebrates the world’s best architecture, interiors and design, as well as studios and individuals producing the most outstanding work.

Fantastic day filming at our Glendale project in the Carron Valley yesterday with Jessica Noël-Smith (Dementia Services Development Centre), Kathy Li and Scott Johnson (Mallard Productions). Jessica, Kathy and I were being filmed discussing accessibility, ageing and dementia friendly design.

We're excited to be one of six teams shortlisted for the Orkney’s Creative Catalyst competition.

Our team includes: Narro Associates (Structural Engineer), Rybka (Mechanical Engineer), Fiona Sinclair (Conservation)

We are delighted that Cuddymoss has been Longlisted for RIBA House of the Year!

RIBA House of the Year is awarded annually to the best example of a one-off house designed by an architect in the UK, celebrating excellence and innovation in home design.

Twenty projects make up this year’s RIBA House of the Year longlist. From these, six projects will be shortlisted and visited by RIBA’s specialist jury, who will then decide the ultimate winner, to be announced later this year.

The Saltire Society promotes good design and housing for all, we are therefore delighted to have been shortlisted for a Saltire Award for our Glendale Cottage: Harmless House, which integrates an ageing and dementia friendly design into a modern sustainable rural home.

Many people have experienced a close friend or family member being diagnosed with Dementia, and as we live longer, the numbers of people with dementia is increasing. The project demonstrates that buildings can and should be designed to enable people with Dementia to live longer in their own home and to assist in the day to day challenges of this disease.

Congratulations to our clients, project architect Fay Goodwin and the rest of the team.

Delighted that our Cuddymoss project in Ayrshire has been shortlisted for the prestigious RIAS Doolan Award for Best Building in Scotland. Congratulations to our client and the rest of the team.

Ann Nisbet Studio: Ann Nisbet, Fay Goodwin and Jenny Barr
Structural Engineer: AH Structural Solutions
Main Contractor: Lawrie Construction
Energy Consultant: Arun Energy

Congratulations to the other shortlisted teams Denizen Works, Flanagan Lawrence and Page/Park Architects.

Four finalists battle for Scottish building of the year The shortlist for the £10,000 prize includes a music school and a home clad with crushed TV screens.

Thanks to the for featuring us in their Glasgow issue with the 'Glasgow's young guns come of age' article. The interview was a great opportunity to pause and reflect on the last 6 years.

Also, fantastic to see Dundashill featured in the AJ’s Project roundup. We are enjoying working with Igloo Regeneration alongside Stallan- Brand Architects and Rankin Fraser Landscape Architecture on this canal side neighbourhood on the northern edge of Glasgow’s city centre.

What a week for our 'Harmless House' project! On Wednesday it won the Stirling Society of Architects' Award for best new build! We had such a lovely afternoon in Stirling at the awards gathering. Thank you to the SSA and the judges.

Last night at the Scottish Design Awards it won the silver award for best residential building. A great night celebrating with these brillant people! (Fay, Kathy & Derek)

Well done to Project Architect Fay Goodwin!

Congratulations to Kathy and Richie, and the rest of the team. Derek Robertson BCC , Christina Barrass and Scott Morrison and Smart Group Scotland

Cuddymoss has won a RIBA National Award!
The RIBA National Awards are given to buildings across the Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland in recognition of their significant contributions to architecture.
A wonderful award to receive for our client and the rest of the Team.

Ann Nisbet Studio: Ann Nisbet, Fay Goodwin and Jenny Barr
Structural Engineer: AHSS
Main Contractor: Lawrie Construction
Energy Consultant: Arun Energy

Thank you to the The Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland Judges and Royal Institute of British Architects

We went along to the RIAS Summer Reception at the end of last week to celebrate our RIAS Award for Cuddymoss. We did not have any expectations of winning any of the special awards being announced that evening but we are so happy to have won the The Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland and Zero Waste Scotland Circular Economy Award 2023. Well Done to our client and everyone involved in the project.

Judges comments:
“The project has benefitted from a collaborative approach, with the client fully embracing the importance of carefully selected materials, even finding old bricks for re-use in the project. Ann Nisbet Studio have demonstrated an approach to retrofit of the highest quality, with an understanding the importance of adaptability, deconstructability, and use of natural, healthy materials in design.”

06.23: New Home Retrofit wins RIAS Circular-Economy Award - Ann Nisbet Studio Delighted that our Cuddymoss project in Ayrshire won the RIAS and Zero Waste Scotland Circular Economy Award on Thursday Night! Sponsored by Zero Waste Scotland, the Circular Economy Design Award is a special category award within the annual RIAS Awards. A circular economy is part of the solution to...

Our Cuddymoss project in Ayrshire has won a RIAS Award and will now be considered for the shortlist of the 2023 RIAS Andrew Doolan Best Building in Scotland Award. We are delighted for our client and the rest of the team involved in the project. The Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland

Celebrating our RIAS Awards 2023 Winners | Cuddymoss by Ann Nisbet Studio

This new house is located within and around a ruined building in the beautiful North Ayrshire landscape – built over 200 years to house people and cattle.

Driven by the idea of ‘building within a ruin’, Ann Nisbet Studio's quiet, honest and light-touch approach brings the building gently back to life as a home. Careful use of materials and a respect for the ruin's lifespan and history, allows it to retain its character and close relationship to the landscape.

A simple timber-clad second building, pictured here, connects to the ruin by a glazed link and provides additional space.

The RIAS Awards celebrate the best architecture in Scotland and represent Scotland's National Architecture Awards.

Find out more about this year's RIAS Awards winners here: bit.ly/3N2nZ0d

Photography: David Barbour

Delighted that our 'Glendale Cottage: The Harmless House' has been shortlisted for an award by the Stirling Society of Architects. Congratulations to our clients Kathy and Richie, and the rest of the team.
The new house is located in the Campsie Fells near the Carron Valley Reservoir and forestry. The project is located on the western edge of a small cluster of houses, with westerly views, across agricultural land, up the valley towards Meikle Bin.
From an early stage the house was designed to be dementia and age friendly. This influenced every aspect of the design including the layout, the material and tonal palette, the kitchen design, and sanitaryware and ironmongery specification. The aim was to incorporate the research and guidance used within care-homes and hospitals and apply this within a residential context in a design-led, non-institutional manner.

Photographs: David Barbour