How we work

At the core of every project we do is our concept of Human Centred Design.Whether it’s a commercial building, a retail store, or a house extension, the space is going to be used by humans, which is why we put people at the heart of the process.

How does that work in practice?

Almost every project starts with an initial consultation. Nine times out of ten, this will be with Richard, our Managing Director, or Ewan Buchan our Associate Architect.

The purpose of this meeting is to help us understand why you’re doing the project and how you intend to use the space once it’s been built. This new space is going to be unique to you, your customers or users, so we never begin with any preconceived ideas. There is no “one size fits all” approach with Tinto.

Following this initial meeting, we go back and have a debrief at the office, where we decide who the best person from our team is to lead the job. They’ll be assigned as your Project Architect. They’ll run the project for you; they’ll get to know it as if it was their own; they’ll be there to listen and to co-design the space with you. They’ll be there for you whenever you need them. This means that you’ll have a single point of contact as the project goes through its different phases. Over the years we’ve learned that this is the best way to manage communication. It also avoids a situation of too many cooks…

We’re really proud of our team here at Tinto. Not only are they qualified and experienced Architects, but they care passionately about helping you design spaces that make a difference. They’re skilled at listening, and really getting to understand what the space needs to do for you.

All of our projects are overseen by Ewan Buchan, our Associate Architect. Ewan makes sure that the necessary time and resources are allocated so that we can deliver for you. He’s responsible for ensuring the technical quality of the work that we do. He also uses his experience to support and mentor the team.

Of course, ultimately the buck stops with Richard. It’s his name that’s above the door. But Tinto is a team today. A team of wonderful, creative, passionate professionals. So whomever it is that you’re dealing with day to day, you can be sure that what you’re going to get is a Tinto Design.

One that we can all be proud of, designed with you at the heart of it.