Dualchas Building Design, on the Isle of Skye, was founded in 1996 by twin brothers Neil and Alasdair Stephen. Architect Mary Arnold-Forster joined the practice in 1999, followed by financial and practice manager D.J. MacLennan in 2000. In 2004 architectural assistant Ann G. Nisbet was taken on. Architect and planner Lara Hinde joined the practice in 2005. In February 2006 Dualchas opened a Glasgow office, which Ann now heads up, working alongside architectural assistants Robert Gemmell and Laura McInnes. From humble beginnings Dualchas Building Design has grown into a highly successful practice, offering clients an unsurpassed technical skill base rooted in broad architectural experience and the graphic, presentational and master-planning expertise of its staff.

Over the past few years the profile of Dualchas Building Design has risen – with articles on Dualchas appearing in architecture trade journals, the local and national press, and lifestyle magazines. We have spoken at conferences, taken part in exhibitions, and delivered lectures to architecture students in universities. Such exposure has allowed us to push forward our ethos: that good quality design should be integral to the development of the built environment, and that for too long the mediocre has been acceptable. At Dualchas we believe it is the responsibility of architects to advocate quality and affordable housing, and we intent to continue spreading the word - to architecture students, the general public, and politicians.

In the eleven years that we have been in practice, Dualchas has been called to design a wide variety of buildings - locally, nationally and internationally. Past projects include designing a stone building in Lewis, the renovation of a terraced house in Hammersmith, a schools project on Islay, and a private house in South Africa. In addition to private dwellings, we have designed and built offices, a pottery, a guesthouse, and a holiday complex. Projects on the drawing board include the feasibility study for a sports facility, the development of the new community hall on the Isle of Raasay, the restoration of a listed garden incorporating a new visitors centre, and a holiday apartment development on Islay.

With each Dualchas project, our architects are concerned with ideas of sustainability through the use of energy harnessing technology, the choice of materials in the build, and the life-use of the building. Designing buildings that future generations will have no wish to demolish is key to our thinking; and our buildings have a continuity of tradition in their design that makes them appropriate to their surroundings.

Working from our purpose-built office in Sleat (click here for location map), and with our office in Glasgow (click here for location map) now giving us a permanent city base, Dualchas carries on its business of talking to people and taking on projects. These are exciting times for us and we aim to continue pushing the case for building designs that improve the quality of our environment, and people's lives.

Click here to download Dualchas Practice Profile in PDF format