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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, a co-founder of Staran Architects, is a registered architect with 15+ years construction experience. He oversees the operational and contractual side of the business, with a strong design involvement on our high volume residential and commercial projects. James has significant experience of working with listed buildings and an interest in delivering sustainable buildings for our clients.
James Ferguson, Co-founder
Iain worked for both large and small practices, before co-founding Staran Architects in 2012. He studied architecture at Glasgow School of Art and has a Masters degree in Construction Law. Iain is passionate about working with clients to balance great design with the practicalities of each individual brief. Having recently completed the design and build of his own family home, Iain has a strong working knowledge of the challenges and opportunities that building your own home can bring.
Iain Shillady, Co-founder
David is the Design Director at Staran Architects. After graduating with a first-class degree from Edinburgh College of Art, David worked on a number of award-winning projects across Scotland in the leisure, healthcare, commercial and civil sectors. Having also trained as an architectural technologist, David combines his strong technical skills with a design sensitivity to deliver design led architectural solutions to meet our client’s brief.
David Alexander, Design Director
Helen is the Office Manager at Staran Architects. An administrative manager with extensive experience across sectors including finance, health and architecture. Helen helps support the team with project admin, creating processes and reporting, as well as looking after the general running of the office.
Helen Pearson, Office Manager
David was promoted to Associate in 2023 and leads our technical team. David is an Architectural Technologist & 3D Artist, supporting the team with detailed drawings and incredible 3D images. David studied at the School of Architecture and Building Engineering at the University of Cartagena in Spain, before a passion for Scottish architecture brought him to Edinburgh. David loves architectural photography, illustration, street art and travelling. He can often be found researching new VR and animation software!
David Lopez, Associate
Lucie is an Architectural Assistant at Staran Architects. Lucie graduated from the University of Dundee in 2022 and is currently studying to become a fully qualified Architect. Lucie has strong design and delivery skills and assists the Architects in the office with design documentation.
Lucie Lange, Architectural Assistant
Nikki is an Architectural Technologist at Staran Architects. Nikki graduated from Napier University with a first-class honours degree in 2022, and is a fluent BIM software user. Nikki has a passion for sustainable design and environmental aspects of building projects. Nikki has strong a strong technical skill set and assists the Architects with documentation and delivery.
Nikolina Gencheva, Architectural Technologist
Team
Nikki is an Architectural Technologist at Staran Architects. Nikki graduated from Napier University with a first-class honours degree in 2022, and is a fluent BIM software user. Nikki has a passion for sustainable design and environmental aspects of building projects. Nikki has strong a strong technical skill set and assists the Architects with documentation and delivery.
James Ferguson, Co-founder
James, a co-founder of Staran Architects, is a registered architect with 15+ years construction experience. He oversees the operational and contractual side of the business, with a strong design involvement on our high volume residential and commercial projects. James has significant experience of working with listed buildings and an interest in delivering sustainable buildings for our clients.
Iain Shillady, Co-founder
Iain worked for both large and small practices, before co-founding Staran Architects in 2012. He studied architecture at Glasgow School of Art and has a Masters degree in Construction Law. Iain is passionate about working with clients to balance great design with the practicalities of each individual brief. Having recently completed the design and build of his own family home, Iain has a strong working knowledge of the challenges and opportunities that building your own home can bring.
David Alexander, Design Director
David is the Design Director at Staran Architects. After graduating with a first-class degree from Edinburgh College of Art, David worked on a number of award-winning projects across Scotland in the leisure, healthcare, commercial and civil sectors. Having also trained as an architectural technologist, David combines his strong technical skills with a design sensitivity to deliver design led architectural solutions to meet our client’s brief.
Stuart Morrison, Project Architect
Stuart joined Staran as a Project Architect in 2019 and works with our residential and developer clients. He studied at Edinburgh University and Edinburgh College of Art and has strong experience across a variety of sectors. With a passion for detail and strong communication skills, Stuart enjoys working across all the stages of our projects, from the concept design to detailing and construction.
David Lopez, Architectural Technologist
David is our resident Architectural Technologist & 3D Artist, supporting the team with detailed drawings and incredible 3D images. He studied at the School of Architecture and Building Engineering at the University of Cartagena in Spain, before a passion for Scottish architecture brought him to Edinburgh. David loves architectural photography, illustration, street art and travelling. He can often be found researching new VR and animation software!
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.