Nightland is a remote retreat located on a sloping landscape near the north-west Scottish coast, overlooking Loch Lurgainn and framed by distant mountain peaks. Conceived as a place for withdrawal, observation, and creative renewal, the project was originally developed as The Aurora Retreat and was longlisted for the RIBAJ OST Frazer Award in 2021.

Accessible by foot yet connected to nearby infrastructure, the retreat balances isolation with openness. A small cluster of cabins and a shared observation lounge are carefully positioned to minimise ground impact, respond to the terrain, and frame long views across land and sky. The spatial arrangement clearly distinguishes between private and communal life, supporting moments of solitude alongside shared rituals of cooking, storytelling, and collective observation.

Materially restrained and environmentally conscious, the buildings are elevated on lightweight structures and wrapped in dark carbonised timber, allowing them to recede into the landscape. Internally, a simple palette of OSB panels unifies structure, finish, and furniture, creating warm, tactile interiors while reducing material complexity. Skylights, full-height openings, and observation decks orient the architecture towards the changing northern light, enabling the aurora to be experienced from both shared and intimate spaces.

Nightland proposes architecture as a quiet, buildable framework for retreat - one that dissolves into its surroundings, foregrounds nature, and supports wellbeing through both individual reflection and collective experience.