[3] He describes his area of interest as "architectural archaeology", and seeks to preserve historical features of buildings when renovating them for modern use.
[3] His work in renovating buildings in the north east of Scotland has won awards from the Aberdeen Society of Architects and from Aberdeenshire Council.
[5] He has worked on a project to save Wardhouse, an abandoned Palladian mansion near Insch,[1][6] and on a scheme to convert the ruins of New Slains Castle into holiday accommodation.
[7][8] Forrest's design for the club house at Trump International Golf Links, Scotland drew criticism from MacMillan for its old-fashioned architecture.
The design was defended by the secretary of the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland, who argued that the building was well-suited to its purpose, and praised the quality of the specified materials.