About Us
Harkin Associates has over 25 years experience and has developed a distinctive design approach which results in functional, sustainable and award-winning buildings.
Mission
Harkin Associates deliver a unique blend of creative and logical thinking, ensuring you receive innovative design solutions for a variety of sector-specific challenges. With a keen eye for detail, our award-winning team produce architectural drawings in a distinct and clear style, ensuring they are easily understandable, whether you're a seasoned construction industry professional or a homeowner with a project in mind.
Our Story...
Harkin Associates has over 35 years experience and has developed a distinctive design approach which results in functional, sustainable and award-winning buildings.
The practice, established in 1988, has a wide ranging and diverse project portfolio covering bespoke dwellings, residential lifestyle and student accommodation, extensive work in the commercial, retail and education sectors along with countless projects in the specialist fields of industrial, renewable and process/chemical engineering.
We empower clients with exceptional service and design solutions, guided by our core values of creativity, collaboration, and sustainability.
Harkin Associates has also carried out projects in the complex, highly technical and coordinated offshore accommodation module design and refurbishment where engineering projects need to comply with DNV (Det Norske Veritas) and Lloyds Register standards and classification.
Harkin Associates can quickly resource projects and service clients needs locally and nationally. The practices range of work has extended globally to work in Dubai, developing suburbs within Wadi Sawawin in Saudi Arabia and the more remote urbanizations of Malaysia to work on the Gunawan Iron & Steel Complex, along with projects in Seattle USA and at Bantry Bay in the Republic of Ireland.
Why Choose Us
We have been winning awards in our industry since 2003.
Middlesbrough Council Design Awards
2009 Overall winner of the residential building category for the Broomlands development. Cambridge Square, Middlesbrough.
FHM 100 Doors
2005 Overall winner of FHM magazines '100 Doors' national menswear retail competition for Psyche Designer Store, Middlesbrough.
Middlesbrough Design Awards
2003 Overall winner of the Commercial / Institutional development category for the external re-design and alterations to retail premises at 175-187 Linthorpe Road, Middlesbrough. Presented by the Building Industry Forum 18th September 2003 during Urban Design Week.
Meet The Team
We have been winning awards in our industry since 2003.
Andy Harkin
Practice Principal
Having joined the practice in 2006 and after previously working with a Development Company primarily in a commercial role and graduating from Teesside University with a Diploma in Business Studies, Andy joined Harkin Associates as well as studying and graduated from Northumbria University with a BSc(hons) in Architectural Technology.
Coming into the family business to help with the commercial aspects of the practice, Andy ran and managed small works projects from Educational to Commercial and Retail projects including various roll-out concepts and re-branding for a particular high street convenience store as well as an independent North East high quality jewellers.
Andy has been responsible for the coordination of large projects including major works to various Premier League football stadiums through the production information, tender and construction processes. Coordinating all works with club, contractors, Premier League and international broadcasters.
Paul Hetherington
Design Director
Paul graduated with a BA(Arch) in 1992 at Manchester University, and attained a distinction for his final year dissertation thesis on Urbanisation. Paul also achieved a First Class BA (Hons) degree and won an RIBA award for his graduation project.
During his graduation year Paul worked on restoration projects in Montpellier in the South of France and the Vasia Region of Northern Italy.
Paul was a key member of the internationally renowned Atkins design consultancy for 10 years working on a number of prestigious projects for high profile clients including DuPont (UK), Atomic Weapons Establishment, MoD and even Richard Branson’s Virgin Trains.
Paul joined Harkin Associates as project architect in 2001 and has been responsible for a number of competition winning residential development and commercial projects and was the leader of the team which produced the multi award winning Psyche ‘Uber’ store.
Paul is the project architectural designer for the multi-million pound upgrading and modernization of PPG Aerospace commercial facilities along with Kingspan HWS which provide architecturally inspired building solutions promoting corporate identity and international status.
Steve Cansfield
Senior Architectural Technician
Steve is a qualified Architectural Technician with a BSc (Hons) in Construction Management from the University of Reading. Steve has a background in Retail, Residential and Commercial design, previously working throughout the length and breadth of the United Kingdom.
Steve has 10 years’ experience in Retail fit out of shopping centres, retail parks and high street stores for some of the major Retailers, which include flag ship stores in Piccadilly, London; White City Shopping Centre, London; Liverpool One, Liverpool and Argyle Street, Glasgow. As Designer and Project Manager, works included new build developments and refurbishment of listed buildings projects.
Steve’s residential design portfolio include housing schemes across North Yorkshire, York, Ripon, Gloucester, Herefordshire, and the Midlands including an 8 storey apartment block in the Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham, which he acted as the principal design co-ordinator for 82 high end apartments within the City Centre.
Steve joined Harkin Associates in April 2022 and is responsible for technical design on numerous residential and commercial projects.
John Ions
Architect
John is a versatile and innovative Senior Architect with considerable experience in the design and development of a wide spectrum of building types both within Local Authority and the Private Sectors.
Qualifying as an Architect in 1982 from the Leicester Polytechnic School of Architecture (now De Montfort University), John commenced his Career in Commercial Architecture working on Retail and Office Projects before moving into Local Authority working in turn for County Council and Unitary Authority Property / Technical Services Departments gaining experience in the Police, Education, Libraries and Social Services Sectors.
Returning to the Private Sector, John worked for several North East Companies involved with Housing, Extra Care Facilities, Sports and Leisure, Biopharma (GlaxoSmithKline), Adolescent / Adult Mental Health and Dementia facilities and Education Projects ranging from Sure Start / Nursery to Further Education.
A former Member of Senior Management Teams and Project Team Leader, John has a working knowledge in the use of Standard JCT Contracts, Design and Build Contracts, PFI bids and experience in the operation of Local Authority Frameworks and Partnering Alliances.
Let's collaborate on your next project...
No matter your design needs, residential, commercial, or institutional, we possess the expertise and creativity to transform your project into reality.