Mary-Lou Arscott

Mary-Lou Arscott is Associate Studio Professor at Carnegie Mellon Architecture. She was named Associate Head for Design Fundamentals at the school in 2021. Mary-Lou is a British architect who has been involved in design centered practice and radical construction initiatives since qualifying in the 1970s. After completing her diploma at the Architectural Association in London she studied carpentry, joinery and wood machining. She worked for 10 years as a carpenter/cabinet maker and educator. With five collaborators, she built and designed a cooperative house and initiated two EU funded training schemes in London to encourage women to enter the building industry.

Mary-Lou returned to architectural practice in 1986, first to Casson Conder to work on the extension to the Parliament buildings in London, then to the cooperative practice of Edward Cullinan Architects where she became a director and worked on a series of arts and educational buildings. In 1996 she was a founding architect in Knox Bhavan Architects where for 10 years she worked on a wide range of historic buildings and residential projects. Her project Holly Barn in Norfolk won a number of prestigious awards including the RIBA Manser Medal in 2006. Over the years Mary-Lou has been interested in the detailing and realization of art ideas and she has assisted various artists with gallery exhibitions and public art installations.

Her architectural work ranges across public and private sectors and combines elegance with economical use of materials. The projects reflect careful attention to the needs of client and user whilst involving the creative contribution of the builder.