RMJM sacks chief architect over ‘gross misconduct’

TROUBLED architecture firm RMJM has sacked its chief architect in Scotland, amid allegations of further financial problems at the company.

Alistair Brand, the company’s managing principal at its Scottish studio, was dismissed with immediate effect yesterday.

Staff in RMJM’s Glasgow office, where Mr Brand was based, were understood to have been told that he had left following allegations of “gross misconduct”.

The architect, who had worked for Edinburgh-headquartered RMJM since 1995, was involved in a string of high-profile projects including the Falkirk Wheel, Custom House Quay, the Glasgow Harbour Waterfront masterplan and the Commonwealth Games Village.

Mr Brand, 37, is also a director of RMJM-owned subsidiary Futureplace Land and has lectured at Strathclyde University, where he gained a first-class degree in architectural studies.

A spokesman for RMJM confirmed that Mr Brand had been dismissed, but refused to comment on why, although it is understood the dismissal is connected to allegations made about the firm by a Sunday newspaper – which are now the subject of legal action.

The architecture company, which employed the disgraced former banker Sir Fred Goodwin as a business adviser until last year, has faced major financial problems in recent times.

It suffered a 71 per cent collapse in pre-tax profits in 2009-10, according to accounts filed last summer.

RMJM, which was ranked as the 13th-biggest architecture practice in the world by Building Design magazine last year, has also struggled with cash flow over the past two years, leaving employees and contractors around the world without payment.

It is reported the company last week delayed paying wages for the second month in a row.

December’s payment was a number of days late, while employees have been told a “cash-flow issue” has meant January’s salary payments, due a week ago, have not yet been paid.

The financial struggles have also resulted in the departure of a large number of senior and high-profile staff.

Former RBS chief executive Sir Fred, who was hired in January 2010, took a step back from the company early last year, while former St Andrews University principal Dr Brian Lang, employed in a similar advisory role, also quit the firm, admitting his workload there had slowed.

The RMJM spokesman said: “Our resilience and the robust nature of our financial position is underlined by the fact that any payment delays have been minimal and always the result of a short delay in receiving agreed client payments. We caught up significantly with pension payments in December.”

Meanwhile, the company revealed yesterday it was taking legal action against a Sunday newspaper that published a string of allegations over the company’s order book.

The spokesman added: “Following publication of two articles in this weekend’s Sunday Herald containing a number of misleading, inaccurate and defamatory allegations, lawyers acting on behalf of RMJM have written to the editor demanding a retraction and apology, as well as payment of damages.”

Despite its financial woes. the Scottish company, which employs hundreds of staff around the world, bought up struggling English practice YRM under a controversial “pre-pack administration” deal just before Christmas, which allowed it to take on the business while leaving debts with the administrator.