Award-winning architects firm cuts a quarter of staff

Published on Thursday 7 August 2008 22:00

A HIGH-PROFILE Scottish architecture practice has laid off a quarter of its staff because of the downturn in the construction industry.

Award-winning Malcolm Fraser Architects, which is behind a number of landmark buildings including Scotland's national dance centre, Dancebase, has cut eight architect jobs at its Edinburgh practice.

And yesterday the industry body, the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (Rias), revealed that other practices are increasingly looking for projects abroad in a bid to stay afloat.

Neil Baxter, treasurer and secretary for Rias, said smaller practices with reliance on housebuilding rather than public projects were struggling.

He also warned that the slump could hit architects harder over the coming two to three years because of a decline in project commissions.

The redundancies at Malcolm Fraser, which is behind a number of other major developments, including the planned Scottish Ballet building in Glasgow, have left the firm with about 20 staff.

Baxter said: "The downturn in the housing market has meant that a lot of projects have been suspended.

"Architects may find they have enough work in the pipeline at present, but it is when they get to the point that jobs finish and there is not a lot else around that there may be problems."

He added: "The problems are not across the board. Most mid-size firms, with a presence in a range of sectors, may find they are experiencing a decline in some areas, but others, such the health sector, are fine."

Baxter said that in addition to the redundancies at Malcolm Fraser, he understood there had been cuts at other small Scottish firms.

He added: "There are still opportunities in some places in Europe. A lot of companies are diversifying to ensure they have a broad base."

Edinburgh-based Graeme Massie is an example of a practice casting its net farther afield. The small firm, which was set up three years ago and has ten staff, is currently working on three town plan projects in Iceland and one mixed-use development, including a six-star hotel, in Dubai.

Graeme Massie, the firm's owner, said: "One of our first successes was to win a competition in Iceland. Since then, we have had quite a bit more work from there. It is definitely an advantage, to have a relatively diverse geographical spread of work just now, with the situation the way it is in the UK."

Brian Yeats, a spokesman for Malcolm Fraser, confirmed the cuts had been made as a result of the housing slump, but refused to comment further on the job losses.