Forty years. When I consider where Narro began, as a small but ambitious Practice with big ideas and a genuine desire to help make great architecture, and compare it to the thriving, 100-strong team we are today, spread across seven offices, the scale of that journey is something I find genuinely humbling.
I’ve been part of that journey for most of it, having joined as a graduate engineer way back in 1998. Through the support and mentorship of this remarkable profession and some truly remarkable people, I was privileged to take the reins as Managing Director. That such a path was possible says everything about the kind of Practice Narro is, and has been even more so since becoming employee owned over a decade ago. When everyone has a stake in the outcome, it shows in the work.
Celebrating our founder
This anniversary also gives us the opportunity to celebrate David Narro, whose vision started all of this. David has been stepping back from the Practice over recent years, and his move to full retirement feels like the perfect moment to acknowledge, properly and publicly, just how much he gave to Narro and to this profession.
“The foundation David laid in terms of culture, quality, and ambition is something we carry forward in everything we do.”
The values he instilled from the very beginning; rigour, care, and a quiet creative confidence, remain as central to our identity today as they ever were. We are enormously grateful to him and wish him a very well-earned retirement.
A decade of defining projects
Since our 30th anniversary, Narro has gone from strength to strength. We’ve had the privilege of working on some of the most iconic and technically demanding projects in the UK. The refurbishment of the National Gallery of Scotland and the painstaking ongoing restoration of the Glasgow School of Art stand as defining achievements, not just for Narro, but for the engineering profession at large.
It would be impossible to list every project we’re proud of, but the past ten years have also seen us grow boldly across sectors: civil and infrastructure works, industrial facilities, residential developments, distilleries, commercial and educational environments — projects that quietly underpin the fabric of everyday life.
Looking ahead: Our appointment to larger frameworks and our expansion into London, signals an exciting new chapter, one we embrace with the same rigour, care, and reliable creativity that has always defined us.
Conservation at the core
Through all of this growth, conservation engineering remains close to our heart. There is something deeply satisfying about breathing new life into buildings that have shaped communities for centuries, and our teams have earned a reputation for doing so with exceptional skill and sensitivity. That work continues to define us, even as we expand into new sectors and new geographies.
Passing the baton
Growth of this kind doesn’t happen by chance. It happens through people – talented, dedicated engineers and support staff who turn up each day with curiosity and commitment. This anniversary is as much a celebration of them as it is of the Practice itself.
As I prepare to step down as Managing Director this summer, I do so with enormous pride and deep gratitude. The baton passes to Robbie Templeton, who many of you will already know well, and who I know will lead Narro with exactly the capability, care, and vision this practice deserves.
Thank you to every client, collaborator, and colleague who has been part of this story. The next forty years are in very good hands.
Ben Adam
