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Staran was founded in 2012 by friends and former colleagues, James Ferguson and Iain Shillady. Our main office has always been located in the centre of Edinburgh and, as such, we have a wealth of experience in listed building projects, working within conservation areas and maximising the potential of tight city centre commercial sites. We particularly enjoy repurposing previously overlooked sites and buildings. Whilst the majority of our work is in Edinburgh and the surrounding areas, we also work across the UK, with projects taking us from the Outer Hebrides to London.
We enjoy working across a diverse range of buildings and locations, so do not have a ‘signature style’ that we adapt for each project. Instead, our focus is on working with clients through a collaborative process to deliver the outcomes they require; be it a beautiful family home, a business asset, or a property development. We take time to fully understand our client‘s requirements and to make the most of the opportunity that working together can bring.
To learn more about our approach and ethos, please contact us.
Team
James Ferguson, Co-founder
Iain Shillady, Co-founder
David Alexander, Design Director
Helen Pearson, Office Manager
David Lopez, Associate
Lucie Lange, Architectural Assistant
Nikolina Gencheva, Architectural Technologist
Team
James Ferguson, Co-founder
Iain Shillady, Co-founder
David Alexander, Design Director
Stuart Morrison, Project Architect
David Lopez, Architectural Technologist
FAQ
We appreciate that working with an architect can be a new experience for many clients. Below are a list of questions that clients often ask us which we hope is useful. Every project is different though, so please contact us to find out more or to discuss your specific queries.
We work on both residential and commercial projects for private clients, property developers and commercial clients. Our residential focus is on bespoke new build homes and extensions but we also have a wealth of experience of working with listed buildings. Our commercial projects span residential and mixed-use developments, as well as commercial ventures including hotels, distilleries, retail and food & beverage.
We currently have projects live across the UK. As a rule of thumb, for new build houses and larger commercial projects we can work nationally, but smaller projects would tend to be within 1.5 hours drive of our Edinburgh and Perth & Kinross studios.
Fees will be tailored and calculated based on the level of service required and the complexity, scale and duration of the project. As an approximate guide for one-off homes, our full architectural service fee may range between 8-12% of the build cost.
We offer full architectural services, from concept to completion, but can tailor these to suit the client and project requirements. We can also provide assistance with site selection, funding, interior design, bespoke joinery design and manufacture, and computer-generated images. In addition, we are now able to offer a full, architect-led design & build service for new build homes, in which we manage the full house build, from design to construction and fit-out.
The build cost depends on a number of factors including location, site characteristics, scale, complexity and specification. For a new build house, a rough guide would be from £1800sq/m to £2500sq/m and beyond.
Timings vary across different projects and can be affected by a number of factors. A new build house, for example, may take up to two years or longer. This could break down as follows: 4-6 months from design concept to approved planning, 4-7 months for building warrant/ technical design/ contractor selection and then 10-14 months for construction.
Yes, we work with many reputable main contractors and suppliers. In addition, we are now able to offer a full design & build service for new build houses, depending on location.
Get in touch with as much information as you currently have. This may just be a potential site location or it may be information on a site/ property that you have already purchased with an initial brief and mood boards. It all starts with a chat.