Born: May 21, 1947; 
Died: March 9, 2021. 

SIMON Winstanley, FRIAS RIBA, who has died aged 73, was an architect who brought a very personal, modern and ecological style to his work. 
His business was centred in Castle Douglas and much of it was carried out in the Dumfries and Galloway area. He had a canny ability to balance domestic demands with practical and fundamentally workable designs that maintained his distinctive vision for the finished house. 
This is clearly evidenced in his own house, The Houl, in Dalry, near Castle Douglas. Here he created a practical and elegant home which in 2011 was included in a Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS) shortlist for the prestigious Andrew Doolan Best Building in Scotland Award.
The Houl is a charming, contemporary single-storey “long house”, full of character internally and externally that fits into the surrounding landscape with much grace. It is sustainable in its construction and achieves zero carbon rating by using very high levels of insulation.
Winstanley’s care for the environment is further demonstrated with whole-house heat recovery ventilation, air-source heat pump and a wind turbine. He was respected throughout the profession in Scotland for his innovative use of materials. 
The Houl’s principal rooms are situated so they enjoy a spectacular view across the valley to the west. Significantly, the house is constructed in steel and timber frame, its walls clad in cedar weatherboarding.  
The firm has received several awards over the years – indeed, in his first year he was commended by the Galloway Preservation Society. 
In 2011, there were three awards events that recognised Winstanley’s distinctive work. The Houl was commended in the Scottish Design Awards; the RIAS gave a special mention for his design for Loch Arthur Farm Shop; and the Glasgow Institute of Architects highly commended his Fordhouse, which was dramatically clad in black zinc. 
Other honours that came his way during his career included a Saltire Society Housing award and a Royal Institute of British Architecture award.
Graham Ditchburn, a colleague of Winstanley’s for many years, remembers him with much warmth. He said: “Simon’s work was very identifiable. In the early years his designs were post-modern and his interest in the contemporary developed over time. Sustainability and energy efficiency were important to him – but architecture and design came first.”
He added: “Simon was keen to offer a client something different. He had very high standards and his work was always new, bold and refreshing.”
Simon Scott Winstanley was the son of Flight Commander Kenneth Winstanley and his wife, Mabel. His father was killed in an air crash in 1948. 
Winstanley attended Melvin College, Worcester (1960-64), and then read architecture at Regent Street Polytechnic in London. He qualified in 1972 and, until 1981, he served with various architectural practices before coming north 
to join the Mackintosh School of Architecture (1981-83). 
He founded his firm (Crallan & Winstanley Architects) in 1983 
so he could further his vision for contemporary architecture that was practical and energy-conscious. His designs over the years included a wide variety of projects, both large and small, and with his care to enhance the environment he always reflected the area and conditions. 
Among Winstanley’s joys was to receive a commission to adapt and modernise existing buildings. A fine example was Killylour, at Shawhead, where he added a fine wooden extension to a charming traditional cottage. 
For Deepstone in Dalbeattie, which was originally set in a quarry and overlooks the Solway Firth, he designed a fascinating glazed pavilion sitting atop a masonry base. It fitted into the geology of the area and magnificently complemented the surrounding landscape. 
He was presented with a major challenge in 2004 when he was commissioned to oversee the development of Taigh Sonas, near Kippford on the Solway Coast. He designed the building with steel and timber frame with lower stone walls but the handsome windows and external doors provide a welcoming feel.
Homes & Interiors devoted an article to the development and wrote enthusiastically how Winstanley had changed “a small semi-derelict white bungalow whose best days were very much behind it … into a home that fits perfectly into the landscape”. 
Winstanley was devoted to the Castle Douglas area and served as chairman of the Saltire Design Panel. He was a keen golfer and was known, with other colleagues in the office, to leave early once a week for 18 holes on the New Galloway Club. Other interests included classical music, jazz and ballet. 
The last was furthered when, five years ago, he met his second wife, Petal Ashmole, who was a dancer with The Royal Ballet and a teacher at The Royal Ballet School.
Winstanley, who had been ill for some months, had married his first wife, Annie, in 1976. She predeceased him and he married Petal earlier this year. She, and his four children from his first marriage, survive him.