Laura Sutherland of Annie Kenyon Architects (ak|a) was selected out of hundreds of graduating Art & Architecture Students to exhibit at the Royal Scottish Academy’s New Contemporaries exhibition in April this year.
2025 marked the sixteenth year of the RSA New Contemporaries showcase, featuring 63 graduates selected from the 2024 degree shows. It was a fantastic overview of the new talent emerging in Scotland’s art and architecture scene.
Laura graduated from the Scott Sutherland School of Architecture in 2024 and has taken up a position at ak|a as architectural assistant while she works towards her Part 3 examination.
Her Masters Thesis explored a new architecture which returns to the roots of traditional Scottish building techniques and materials, while also highlighting the paradox of its declining stone industry.
Titled ‘Heralding the New Stone Age’, the project regenerated the idea of compression-only stone structures to form contemporary, low-carbon architecture.
Laura Sutherland (photo credit Rory Raitt
The RSA submission is only one of the accolades bestowed on Laura since her graduation, she was also awarded the RGU Art & Heritage Award and was asked to submit her work into the prestigious RIBA Silver Medal.
“I am incredibly proud of what Laura has achieved,” says Annie Kenyon. “To be chosen as one of only five students from the whole of Scotland to exhibit in the Royal Academy, is a reflection of what a talented student she is.
"Having worked with Laura during her Part 1 and throughout her studies, I’ve seen firsthand her unique design ability and strong professionalism. I am delighted she’s received the Heritage award which reflects her passion for the ak|a values. We are very lucky that she has returned to the practice.”
Annie Kenyon Architects is an award-winning architectural practice based in Inverurie. Founded in 2006 by Annie Kenyon, it has gained a reputation for excellence in design and service with a passion for creating well considered, design-led solutions which are contemporary in spirit yet rooted in tradition.
For more information and enquiries please contact info@akenyonarchitects.com or visit www.akenyonarchitects.com