
Ric Russell studied at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art, School of Architecture, Dundee, and qualified in 1971. During this period he won several academic prizes and gained entry to the Royal College of Art, London, Industrial Design Course.
He was co-founding Partner of Nicoll Russell Studios in 1982.
As senior "design" Partner within Nicoll Russell Studios he has gained wide ranging experience in housing, commercial, industrial and arts buildings as well as being a specialist in contextual, environmental and interior design. He has had direct responsibility for several RIBA Award-winning buildings, e.g. Dundee Repertory Theatre, The TSB Bank in St Andrews, the Grianan Building in Dundee Technology Park, Scrimgeour's Corner, Housing Development, Crieff, The Byre Theatre of St Andrews and The Scottish School of Contemporary Dance at Dundee College, known as 'The Space'. Also acknowledged by 4 prestigious architectural awards is the "experimental" Whitetops Foundation Centre, a building at Dundee University for adults with profound disabilities. Recently Ric has been involved in the development of an Lanntair Arts Centre and Theatre, Stornoway.
He has collaborated with Engineers on many projects with landscape and civil engineering content including a series of motorway bridge projects in Scotland, England and Ireland and the Beckton Gateway, a major bridge for London Docklands. He was responsible for the innovative concept for the Falkirk Wheel which was the re-linkage of the Union and Forth/Clyde Canals involving the construction of the unique mechanised boat lift, aqueduct and tunnel combination negotiating a 35 metre level change.
He has had a continued involvement with many Schools of Architecture including all those in Scotland, in England and N Ireland. He has addressed the RIAS Convention on several occasions and delivered lectures to a wide ranging audience of professional and lay people.
In 1996 he was elected as an Associate of the Royal Scottish Academy. In 1998 he was granted Honorary Professorships at Heriot Watt University School of Architecture and at Dundee University Faculty of Architecture, Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art. He was awarded an OBE for services to architecture in 2005.
Currently Ric is on the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland Student Awards Committee and is a member of the Saltire Housing Design Panel. He has been on the Adjudicating Panel of several Architectural Competitions; and served as a Commissioner for RFACS from 1998 to 2005.