The practice was set up in 2002 by the practice director, Paul McAlister who qualified as a Chartered Architect in 1997. Paul had worked with Michael Aukett Architects in London and also in offices in Dublin and Belfast before establishing the practice.
\nSince inception the practice has grown steadily, with the size and complexity of the projects increasing year by year. In 2008 the practice relocated to a restored stonework barn on the outskirts of Portadown to accommodate a growth in workload. The new office accommodation is testament to how an intervention into an historical building, allied with careful on site supervision, can produce an office environment that is modern whilst losing none of the vernacular charm of the original building.<\/p>\n
The practice has a breadth of experience from small domestic to large commercial projects. It continues to develop new services and skills. The introduction of an environmental policy in 2007 marks a move toward Ecological and Sustainable design. One of the key environmental concerns is to reduce CO2 emissions to all buildings designed by the office. The Passive House or PassivHaus approach has been adopted as the most reliable standard in achieving energy efficiency in new buildings. We incorporate all or many of these low carbon design principles into residential dwellings and commercial buildings. Paul McAlister is also the first architect in Northern Ireland to be certified as a \u2018Certified European Passive House Designer\u2019 with the Passive House Institute in Germany.<\/p>\n