Ken Shuttleworth’s firm, Make Architects, is to close one of their three UK studios as a ‘direct result of the current economic situation’. The firm’s Edinburgh studio will cease operations at Christmas with work being shifted to the Birmingham and London offices. The firm have lost 30 out of 130 employees from the three UK studios since the crunch hit in the summer. Spokesperson for the firm Sharon Nolan advised that demand for their services in Edinburgh simply ground to a halt but they are not concerned about the future of the Birmingham or London offices.

Ken Shuttleworth is responsible for several of the world’s most important architectural builds including Chek Lap Kok airport (Beijing International), Citibank HQ in Canary Wharf, London and the arches of the new Wembley Stadium in London.

In a statement to the press the firm were positive about their future stating: “as a strongly design-led practice we are fortunate to hold considerable skills and experience applicable to a broad range of work in a variety of contexts; accordingly, our strategy for the coming years is to build on our existing work in the UK public and private sectors while actively pursuing a range of projects and opportunities globally including in Asia and the Middle East.”

Niki May Young
News Editor