Halvorsen Architects

Halvorsen Architects, founded by Gail Halvorsen in 1994, specialises in sustainable and ecological design for residential, educational, and commercial buildings. With a commitment to modern design that sympathetically integrates into its context, the practice has established a reputation for developing imaginative and innovative solutions. Running a small practice enables Halvorsen Architects to foster one-to-one relationships with clients, often leading to better designs.

Gail Halvorsen, the principal, trained at the Architectural Association and worked at Michael Hopkins & Partners for five years before establishing the practice. Gail Halvorsen was named as an "up and coming young female architect to watch" by Perspectives two years after founding Halvorsen Architects. The practice relocated from London to Edinburgh in 1996, focusing on developing expertise in sustainable architecture while raising three children.

Previous Experience

At Michael Hopkins & Partners:

• Project architect, Westminster Underground Station, London (1992-95)
• Site architect, Westminster Underground Station, London (1997-98)
• Portcullis House (New Parliamentary Building), Westminster, London (1991-92)

At Ove Arup & Partners' Lightweight Structure Department:

• La Grande Arche 'Nuage', La Defense, Paris (1987)
• Aviary, Hong Kong (1987)

Education

Gail Halvorsen received her Diploma from the Architectural Association School of Architecture in London, where her tutors included Peter Cook, Ron Herron, Peter Wilson, Peter Salter, and Chris MacDonald.

Services Offered

Halvorsen Architects offers a range of services, including:

• Design and project management for new builds and retrofits
• Sustainable and ecological design
• Space-saving design solutions
• School workshops
• Community projects
• Conservation area regeneration schemes
• Wood workshops
• Stobs gunpowder mill preservation

Halvorsen Architects' recent projects include a hempcrete house near Dunbar, an Edinburgh Passivhaus, and a space-saving design for a Georgian home. The practice is currently working on projects featuring water features and continues to develop innovative and sustainable designs tailored to clients' needs.