Graeme Nicholls
BSc(Hons) M.Arch ARB FRIAS RIBA
Director | Architect
graeme.nicholls@graemenicholls.com

Graeme is an award-winning architect, educator, and artist based in Glasgow, Scotland. He trained at the University of Strathclyde and North Carolina State University in the United States, qualifying as an architect in 2005.

Before founding Graeme Nicholls Architects in 2016, he worked with several leading design-led practices in Scotland and Australia. These formative experiences laid the foundation for his distinctive approach to architecture—combining conceptual clarity with contextual sensitivity, and an emphasis on narrative, craft, and public engagement.

As Director of Graeme Nicholls Architects, he leads a studio known for its thoughtful and progressive design ethos. The practice has earned national and international recognition, including the Best UK Housing Project and the Editors’ Choice for Best UK Building of the Year at the Architects’ Journal Awards. Its portfolio spans residential, cultural, and civic buildings, with a particular focus on high-quality housing that addresses social needs, environmental responsibility, and placemaking.

Graeme is actively involved in shaping the broader discourse around architecture in the UK. A committed educator, he leads architectural design studio teaching at the University of Strathclyde, where he mentors the next generation of architects and promotes critical, research-led design practice. He frequently participates in public talks, design reviews, and advisory panels, and is a Fellow of the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (FRIAS).

His built and conceptual work has been widely exhibited, including at the Royal Scottish Academy, the V&A Dundee, and The Lighthouse, Scotland’s Centre for Architecture and Design. His projects often draw on historical references and local narratives, reinterpreted through a contemporary lens, and are characterised by a strong sense of order, material richness, and expressive detail.

In 2025, Graeme was appointed to the board of the Charles Rennie Mackintosh Society, one of Scotland’s foremost architectural heritage organisations. Graeme joins with a wealth of experience in contemporary architectural practice and a longstanding interest in Glasgow’s built heritage.

ARTICLES

AWARDS

  • Prospect Magazine’s “Rising Star” (Autumn 2008)

  • Alexander “Greek” Thomson Travelling Scholarship (2007)

  • Building Design magazine’s ‘Class of 2003’

  • Arthur Leslie Hamilton Prize (2003)

  • Glasgow Institute of Architects Award (2003)

  • RIBA President’s Medal nominee (2003)

  • RIAS Silver Medal nominee (2003)

  • Glasgow Institute of Architects Award (2003)

  • Professor Charles Gourlay Memorial Prize (2001)

  • Best Design Thesis Strathclyde University (2001)