Guest Blog: The Northern Architecture Collaborative

Q&A

1. Can you introduce your business and what you do?

The Northern Architecture Collaborative is a collaboration of three of Scotland’s leading architectural practices, united to offer exceptional design and delivery expertise across the UK and Europe. The Inverness & Cromarty Firth Green Freeport’s vision to become a major global hub for green energy is an inspiring ambition that relies on comprehensive architectural support that brings not only creative and technical excellence, but critically an understanding of the regional context. Together, that’s what we do.

We share a commitment to delivering high-quality, complex and commercial architectural and master planning solutions across the North of Scotland.

2. How do your products or services support businesses looking to invest, build, or expand in the Green Freeport?

This collaborative venture can provide large-scale developers looking to invest in the Highlands and Islands with a locally based talent pool with the right level of resources and expertise to meet their needs.

We can:

· Navigate businesses through the region’s unique planning and location complexities.

· Provide the right technical capabilities to deliver complex, large-scale projects.

· Bring the skills and scale to deliver projects across every typology.

· Work within the context of a broader, master planned vision.

· Bring the communities in which projects are built, along with us

3. What sets your business apart — why should investors and partners work with you?

The scale and depth of expertise that the Northern Architectural Collaborative delivers in the North of Scotland is unrivalled. This scale ensures access to the full spectrum of resources and technical specialists required to support a project from concept through to completion — all under one roof. Our collective strength empowers us to deliver the Green Freeport’s vision with confidence and expertise.

4. How are you contributing to the wider Highland economy, community, or sustainability goals?

We’re not just architects, we’re part of the communities we work with, and so we are united by a common goal: to contribute to a thriving local economy through thoughtful and sustainable built environment design.

Our Sustainable Design Ethos pledges that we will deliver projects that minimise carbon footprint and promote low running costs, by challenging ourselves to make environmentally conscious decisions at each design stage. This means adopting a holistic approach which considers materials, building performance optimisation and user wellbeing.

Local communities are directly impacted by the work we do, therefore we prioritise supporting local businesses and contribute to retaining and attracting talent within the communities we serve. As accredited living wage employers, we conduct due diligence to ensure our design partners uphold fair and equal employment practices.

5. Looking ahead, what opportunities do you see for your sector within the Green Freeport?

With a shared vision for success in the Highlands, we see a key role for the Northern Architecture Collaborative in supporting the Green Freeport to deliver their goal of ‘transforming the region into a catalyst for Europe’s renewable energy revolution’. The requirements of these projects of significant scale go beyond standalone architecture to working with a partner who brings a broader, holistic lens to realising projects. We will partner with design teams to navigate the complexities of the local geography including the planning process and the challenges of the remote landscape.

Interested? Find out more...

The Northern Architecture Collaborative can be contacted via hello@arch-collaborative.com. Alternatively you can reach out directly. Alternatively you can reach out directly to Catriona Hill c.hill@oberlanders.co.uk, Rory Kellett rorykellett@360architecture.com and Stuart Mackellar s.mackellar@ldn.co.uk.

For more info, read our prospectus.