Restoration planned for only farm built by Robert Burns
Dating back to 1788 and built by Burns himself, the farmstead is recognised as a site of exceptional historic and cultural importance.
It was built as a family home for his wife, Jean Armour, on the banks of the River Nith, and was acquired by the Robert Burns Ellisland Trust in 2020.
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The trust quickly identified a number of repairs which are needed to preserve the farmstead, and a conservation architect-led design team has been appointed following a tendering process.
Collective Architecture, an award-winning and 100 percent employee-owned practice with studios in Glasgow, Edinburgh, and Dundee will adapt and conserve the historic buildings, as part of the Saving the Home of Auld Lang Syne project, which is supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, South of Scotland Enterprise, Museums Galleries Scotland, and The Holywood Trust.
Led by Emma Fairhurst and Gerry Hogan of Collective Architecture, the team will develop proposals to reverse historic damage to the 18th-century buildings, provide a safe home for the museum collection, and sensitively adapt certain structures to serve as event and education spaces.
The brief also includes creating visitor accommodation on what Burns called 'Sweet Poetic Ground,' with the aim of hosting creative retreats and workshops so that future generations of artists can also 'see nature through the poet's eyes'.
The cottage that Burns built for his wife will be restored as closely as possible to its original 1788 condition. Modern alterations will be removed to create an immersive historical experience for visitors.
Joan McAlpine, Project Director of Saving the Home of Auld Lang Syne, said: 'The Trust was impressed by Collective's collaborative approach and their outstanding track record in conservation-led adaptive reuse.
"We particularly admired their work on other A-listed sites such as the restoration of the Calton Hill Observatory in Edinburgh and the James Watt Institute in Greenock. Both projects involved the sensitive adaptation of heritage buildings housing important collections.
"Now that we are focused on delivering our vision using the A listed farm buildings, Collective's expertise made them our first choice.'
Emma Fairhurst of Collective Architecture said: 'It is a privilege to be appointed to lead the design team for Ellisland Farm, a site of deep historical and cultural value.
"We look forward to working closely with The Robert Burns Ellisland Trust to restore and enhance this remarkable place, ensuring its legacy is preserved and celebrated for generations to come."
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The Herald Scotland
18 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
Restoration planned for only farm built by Robert Burns
Dating back to 1788 and built by Burns himself, the farmstead is recognised as a site of exceptional historic and cultural importance. It was built as a family home for his wife, Jean Armour, on the banks of the River Nith, and was acquired by the Robert Burns Ellisland Trust in 2020. Read More: The trust quickly identified a number of repairs which are needed to preserve the farmstead, and a conservation architect-led design team has been appointed following a tendering process. Collective Architecture, an award-winning and 100 percent employee-owned practice with studios in Glasgow, Edinburgh, and Dundee will adapt and conserve the historic buildings, as part of the Saving the Home of Auld Lang Syne project, which is supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, South of Scotland Enterprise, Museums Galleries Scotland, and The Holywood Trust. Led by Emma Fairhurst and Gerry Hogan of Collective Architecture, the team will develop proposals to reverse historic damage to the 18th-century buildings, provide a safe home for the museum collection, and sensitively adapt certain structures to serve as event and education spaces. The brief also includes creating visitor accommodation on what Burns called 'Sweet Poetic Ground,' with the aim of hosting creative retreats and workshops so that future generations of artists can also 'see nature through the poet's eyes'. The cottage that Burns built for his wife will be restored as closely as possible to its original 1788 condition. Modern alterations will be removed to create an immersive historical experience for visitors. Joan McAlpine, Project Director of Saving the Home of Auld Lang Syne, said: 'The Trust was impressed by Collective's collaborative approach and their outstanding track record in conservation-led adaptive reuse. "We particularly admired their work on other A-listed sites such as the restoration of the Calton Hill Observatory in Edinburgh and the James Watt Institute in Greenock. Both projects involved the sensitive adaptation of heritage buildings housing important collections. "Now that we are focused on delivering our vision using the A listed farm buildings, Collective's expertise made them our first choice.' Emma Fairhurst of Collective Architecture said: 'It is a privilege to be appointed to lead the design team for Ellisland Farm, a site of deep historical and cultural value. "We look forward to working closely with The Robert Burns Ellisland Trust to restore and enhance this remarkable place, ensuring its legacy is preserved and celebrated for generations to come."
The National
4 days ago
- The National
Robert Burns historic home to be saved as architect firm appointed
The award-winning firm Collective Architecture has been appointed to develop plans to save the A-listed building by the charity responsible for safeguarding Ellisland Farm and Museum near Dumfries. Built in 1788, the farmstead is recognised as a site of exceptional historic and cultural importance as it is where Burns wrote a third of his creative output, including famous works such as Auld Lang Syne and Tam o' Shanter. Earlier plans for a new-built visitor centre on the site have been scaled back to focus solely on adapting and conserving the historic buildings, which several reports have assessed as being 'at-risk'. READ MORE: Scotland's first ever children's hospice announces major £17 million revamp Led by Emma Fairhurst and Gerry Hogan of Collective Architecture, the team will develop proposals to reverse historic damage to the 18th-century buildings, provide a safe home for the museum collection, and adapt certain structures to serve as event and education spaces. Fairhurst welcomed the announcement, stating that Collective Architecture aims to ensure the legacy of the building is preserved. She said: 'It is a privilege to be appointed to lead the design team for Ellisland Farm, a site of deep historical and cultural value. 'We look forward to working closely with The Robert Burns Ellisland Trust to restore and enhance this remarkable place, ensuring its legacy is preserved and celebrated for generations to come.' The cottage that Burns built for his wife, Jean Armour, will also be restored as closely as possible to its original 1788 condition. Modern alterations will be removed to create an 'immersive historical experience' for visitors while a visitor accommodation will also be included in the plans to revamp the farm aiming to give people the chance to host creative retreats and workshops so that future generations of artists can also 'see nature through the poet's eyes'. The design work is part of the Saving the Home of Auld Lang Syne project, which is supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, South of Scotland Enterprise, Museums Galleries Scotland, and The Holywood Trust. Joan McAlpine, project director of Saving the Home of Auld Lang Syne, said: 'The Trust was impressed by Collective's collaborative approach and their outstanding track record in conservation-led adaptive reuse. 'We particularly admired their work on other A-listed sites such as the restoration of the Calton Hill Observatory in Edinburgh and the James Watt Institute in Greenock. 'Both projects involved the sensitive adaptation of heritage buildings housing important collections. 'Now that we are focused on delivering our vision using the A-listed farm buildings, Collective's expertise made them our first choice.' (Image: Wimbledon Auctions/PA Wire) Collective Architecture, which owns studios in Glasgow, Edinburgh, and Dundee, is one of several consultants appointed to the Saving the Home of Auld Lang Syne project. Peebles-based Abound will develop an interpretation plan for the site, while Rob Robinson Heritage will produce a revised business plan. In addition, Peter Thierfeldt, whose previous experience includes The Willow Tea Rooms, The Citizens Theatre, and Pitlochry Festival Theatre, has been appointed Director of Development to lead a major international fundraising campaign. The development stage of Saving the Home of Auld Lang Syne is projected to cost more than £900,000 and could unlock more than £1.2 million from the Heritage Fund to help deliver the completed project.
The Guardian
4 days ago
- The Guardian
Add to playlist: the genre-swerving chaos of eight-piece collective Parade and the week's best new tracks
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