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Gareth Hoskins Architects
After only two years, this Glasgow-based practice has distinguished itself by its rapid growth and quality of its projects. It submitted competition-winning designs for the Mackintosh Interpretation Centre, which is housed in The Lighthouse, Scotland's centre for architecture and design that opened in Glasgow last year, and a visitor reception centre at Edinburgh prison. These two triumphs endowed the firm with instant prestige. Fee income, up 45% in 1999 to £145 000, is a measure of Gareth Hoskins' early success.

Arca
This two-year-old practice has certainly embraced the Egan principles. It has registered with the Construction Best Practice Programme, introduced key performance indicators and gained an Investor In People accreditation. On the Britannia Basin housing scheme in Manchester, a brownfield residential project, the firm allowed purchasers to customise their homes using a web site. Fee income was £97 261 last year.

Malcolm Fraser Architects
A tribute to this young practice is the fact that in seven years of business it has never lost a client. Malcolm Fraser is also justifiably proud of its green credentials. It boasts membership of the Scottish Ecological Design Association and has established relationships with green suppliers, particularly in the timber sector. But being green is not just for the benefit of clients, the practice's team cycles to work and to projects. On The Scottish Poetry Library in Edinburgh, the practice was involved in all stages, from site searches to a daily site presence. The firm's fee income increased 9% in 1999, bringing it up to £382 751.

Not only achieved quality in difficult conditions at the Mackintosh Centre, but also set up management systems that should ensure its future

Has won some excellent competitions, particularly the Britannia Basin housing scheme

An amazing amount of repeat business and an excellent attention to detail