Practice Statement

david narro associates was established with the aim of providing a high quality service from a committed and experienced staff. Motivation and a desire to extend the experience of the practice has led to expertise in such varied fields as conservation of ancient monuments, commercial and industrial projects, housing, hotels and leisure and the public sector. It is a policy of the practice to employ only highly qualified personnel, which ensures that senior members of staff serve clients with a wealth of experience. Commissions to date have ranged from structural surveys of domestic and commercial properties to multi million pound commercial and housing developments, art centres and healthcare facilities. Clients cover an equally broad spectrum, from personal clients to government agencies including commercial and industrial companies.The skills of the individual engineers are shown to their best advantage when designing innovative solutions to engineering problems. The challenges posed by old buildings requiring sensitive non-invasive strengthening or alteration and by modern buildings requiring architectural engineering are met with a flexible and inventive attitude to solutions.Positive relationships with both clients and fellow professionals are vital to the successful outcome of any project and it is the policy of the practice to concentrate on maintaining these at the highest level. The initial discussions with the project design team can be the most fruitful for all parties concerned and it is essential that experienced senior personnel acting with the authority of the practice are available at that time. Ownership of a project by an individual engineer is a key policy of the practice. This encourages involvement and commitment leading to greater satisfaction and a better outcome for the Client.All Directors and Associate of the Company are very interested in modern design and sustainability issues.We are striving to gain further experience of sustainable materials and construction techniques. As a company it is our intention to consider the specification of all materials and where possible to ensure that they comply with current thinking on embodied energy and sustainability.Cement production, for example, has high embodied energy and is a major producer of CO2. The choice of timber, insulation and non-fired bricks all allow a low embodied energy content in a building.Where appropriate specifications would include detailed examples of previous schemes where techniques, materials and 'educated' builders have been adopted and perhaps nominate specialist suppliers or builders. These may include Errol Brick Co. for non-fired bricks, Erisco Bauder for green roof systems, Excel Industries for cellulose fibre insulation, Cetco Europe for clay tanking and lime mortars.'David Narro Associates provides a professional and friendly service supported by experience, expertise and the latest technology. The staff are highly qualified, motivated and look on each new project with enthusiasm.

Recent Projects

Projects involving the conservation or alteration of older buildings require a unique engineering approach. Where possible, structural interventions must be non-invasive and sensitive to the history of the building and the original materials used. Considerable knowledge and experience is required together with a pragmatic approach to develop an appropriate engineering solution for each project. The Practice has developed considerable experience in this field that has led to numerous commissions including work with Historic Scotland, The National Trust for Scotland, Scottish Natural Heritage and many recognised conservation Architects and other conservation bodies. Whilst all our engineers have at least some experience of conservation the majority of these projects are handled by David, Dominic or Steve. All three have built up an extensive catalogue of experience and are currently applying for membership of CARE (Conservation Accreditation Register for Engineers). Steve is also a SPAB scholar.

Awards

In this year's MRUK survey on construction professionals, published in Prospect Magazine, David Narro Associates were Commended in the Best Structural Engineers category. We are very pleased that we have come in the top three since 2004.

We are delighted that Logie Schoolhouse, 'a rare surviving example of a once important vernaccular earth building' was awarded a conservation prize in the European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage.

Other projects that have won awards that we are proud to have worked on are:

Scottish Design Awards

Commercial Project
COMMENDATION
Architect: Malcolm Fraser Architects Ltd
Client: Berwick-Upon-Tweed Borough Council
Title: Workspace at Berwick-Upon-Tweed

Re-Use of a Listed Building
COMMENDATION
Architect: Lee Boyd
Client: Cumbrae Community Development Company
Title: Restoration of Garrison House and Grounds

Low Cost Project
AWARD
Architect: Gareth Hoskins Architects Ltd
Client: The Lighthouse and Scottish Government
Title: Gathering Space

Edinburgh Architectural Association

Small Projects Award - Newhaven Road Extension
Architect: WT Architecture

RIBA Awards

Berwick Town Workspace - North East Region
Malcolm Fraser Architects