Our Practice
An award winning architectural practice in Scotland
Hypostyle Architects
Established in 1985, Hypostyle is an award-winning Scottish architectural practice with offices in Glasgow and Edinburgh.
Our experience encompasses the following sectors: residential, masterplanning, health, education, commercial, conservation, retrofit, interiors and industrial.
During this period Hypostyle has acquired extensive knowledge and understanding of architectural practice that allows us to be creative, technically efficient, socially aware, and responsive to client and end user requirements in all our design solutions.
Design
Hypostyle bring added value to all of our projects through design innovation, combined with sound architectural practice, construction detailing and commercial awareness to provide the right design in the right context.
Our design goal is well-considered buildings that are delivered on time, on budget and exceed the expectations of our stakeholders.
The service provided by Hypostyle is bespoke to each project, reflecting the aspirations of the client and the specific characteristics of each individual site or regeneration area.
Our principal area of expertise is delivering financially viable developments, with reduced maintenance and life cycle costs. We are aware of the funding restrictions of Clients, yet consistently deliver exemplar designs, through careful consideration of detailing to ensure that capital finance is utilised to the maximum benefit of the project, while future operational expenditure is minimized.
Sustainability
As a practice Hypostyle wish to design and realise sustainable architecture for our clients, therefore in every design option we strive for environmentally, energy conscious. sustainable and greener architecture.
We believe that sustainability objectives will only be achieved if they are considered at all stages from initial design through construction to long-term use and eventual disposal and recycling. Hypostyle incorporate active and passive sustainability measures in our work, which means that our designs are leaving a smaller carbon footprint for the future generation.
We have senior architects with Certified Passive House Designer accreditations and with more architects from the Hypostyle team taking the passive house exam in Spring 2024, our office will be well equipped to continually deliver Net Zero and help prepare for the transition to the Scottish Equivalent to Passivhaus in late 2024.
In addition to Passivhaus, we offer expertise in BREEAM certification, which assesses the sustainability performance of buildings across various criteria, including energy, water, materials, and ecology. Through our comprehensive services, we can assist clients in navigating the complexities of sustainable building certification, ensuring their projects meet the highest environmental standards.
Social Responsibility
Hypostyle Architect’s operate a Corporate Social Responsibility Policy (CSRP) as part of our Quality Management System, certified to BS EN ISO 9001:2008, which outlines our commitment to encourage collaboration with local communities and provide support to community organisations and activities.
At Hypostyle we want to bring about positive change. We recognize the profound influence that architecture and the built environment can have on communities, the environment, and society, and we are dedicated to making a positive difference.
The CSRP emphasizes our commitment to ethical practices, environmental protection, and community support.
Conservation & Refurbishment
At Hypostyle, we are dedicated to preserving the rich heritage and cultural significance of
our architectural past. We have staff with RIBA Conservation Registrant Accreditation and with PAS 2038 in Retrofitting non-domestic Heritage and Traditional Buildings.
Our Conservation research and conceptual analysis enables a thorough background and understanding of key issues to be gathered at the start of every project. We treat every project as unique; each have different issues, requirements, and challenges.
Hypostyle continue to be involved in numerous projects that hold significant Architectural and Historical merit. Our staff are experienced and conversant in dealing with Planning, Listed Building Departments, the Edinburgh World Heritage Trust and Historic Environment Scotland, and fully understand the various requirements and procedures to ensure historically significant property is respected and any works carried out are best practice and to the correct specification and standards.
Hypostyle also have considerable experience of retrofit projects within commercial, residential, and education buildings.
We work with our private and public sector clients to integrate retrofit proposals with planned maintenance programmes, informing long term planning and reducing additional costs.
Our Retrofit Architect’s and Designers understand the specific requirements of PAS 2035 and PAS 2038 and as a Practice we are committed to expanding our staff team with these accreditations. Hypostyle can deliver compliant, buildable designs and have practical experience of delivering retrofits on site, with residents and building users in situ.
Awards & Accredidations
At Hypostyle we take great pride in our commitment to excellence, which is reflected in the numerous awards and accreditations we have earned. These accolades underline our dedication to quality, innovation, and client satisfaction.
Masterplanning & Placemaking
At Hypostyle we specialize in providing comprehensive masterplanning services for both Residential and Commercial Client’s.With a deep understanding of urban design principles, sustainable practice, placemaking principles and stakeholder engagement, we utilise our expertise to create dynamic environments that enhance quality of life, promote economic vitality, and foster resilient communities.
Our experience ranges from urban inner city regeneration projects through medium density suburban areas to town/settlement expansion studies for a large range of Clients, for both the Public and Private sectors.
Successful masterplanning is rooted in placemaking, the opportunity to enhance a local community and an understanding of the daily journeys, interactions, and opportunities for connection specific to place.
Whether it’s a new residential development or a commercial regeneration project, we set out to unlock the potential of a site to create a place where people belong, where a sense of local identity is entrenched and grounded in a sense of place.
It is widely recognised that integrating Green & Blue Infrastructure, which encompasses natural and semi-natural features, green spaces, rivers, and lakes within and between our villages, towns and cities can bring many social, environmental, and economic benefits to a local area. We understand the impact these assets have on the potential to deliver wellness, sustainability, balance, and cohesion and create inspiration and potential, with the intention of creating public spaces that promote people’s health, happiness, and well-being.
Collaboration
Hypostyle thrives on collaboration. We value the expertise and insight that Partnership and Teamwork brings to every project. We work collaboratively with our Client’s, Contractor’s, and fellow Consultant’s to nurture and build on these relationships throughout the design process.
We actively promote a culture of collaboration and recognise that by working together we can drive innovation and deliver the best results for our clients and stakeholders.
Our concentrated focus on the needs of individual clients is rewarded by the high percentage of repeat work across all sectors of our architectural practice.
Leadership
As one of Scotlands top architectural practices we recognise our duty to lead by example. Our actions shape the profession and our buildings shape the experiences of our clients and end-users. We strive continuously to develop our professional competency and contribute positively to the conversations shaping the industry.