UBER FOR ARCHITECTURE EXPANDS

Hoko Design has opened six studios as part of its expansion following a £400,000 investment and a record month for the residential architectural business.

Scottish architect and entrepreneur Danny Campbell founded Hoko in 2019 as he looked to disrupt the industry by creating a “one-stop-shop” client experience for homeowners seeking to improve their living spaces with the help of architecture and design experts.

The process features “cutting-edge” technology including virtual reality and a full interior design service to help clients realise their interior design visions.

With more than 450,000 UK home planning applications decided each year, the fledgling firm has designs on becoming the household name in residential architecture. The expansion around the UK is the next stage in that plan.

The expansion has helped the firm to a best-ever month in February, placing it on target to be working on 1,000 projects nationwide by the end of the year.

The six new studios mean that the business now covers the north of Scotland, north and south London, Bristol and the south west of England, Birmingham and the West Midlands, and Brighton and the south east – all in addition to the firm’s headquarters in Glasgow.

Campbell, founder and chief executive, said: “The Hoko mission has always been to provide the perfect home remodelling experience for homeowners.

“The traditional architecture process can be complicated, inaccessible, and out of line with advances in customer experience in other industries.

“As news of our success spreads, we have seen rising demand for our brand of residential architecture across the UK, particularly during lockdown, and these new studios in these six areas provide the perfect platform to service that demand.

“The six new additions to our team of talented architects working nationwide to deliver Hoko’s streamlined one-stop shop experience, customer experience. Working with a fantastic network of local suppliers and tradespeople, we are able to take the hassle out of home improvement, and deliver the highest quality projects from start to finish.”

There are now ten Hoko project architects working around the UK, each of whom benefit from the opportunity to earn unlimited pay made up of a competitive base salary and then 30 per cent commission on every invoice.

Aiden Junor, one of the new architects, who will be based in Inverness, said: “The response to our expansion has been excellent, and already we are working with dozens of new clients.

“It’s a privilege to be part of such a forward-thinking business, which is seeking to make positive, client-focused changes to an industry that needs a refresh. It’s a great place to work, and clients love the work we do.”

The business has already grown to employ in excess of 30 staff. Hoko said it has also earned the backing of “world-class” investors and board members, Donald Wilson, Graham Campbell and Warren Gee, who see the firm’s potential to be a world leader in its field.