This year marks a significant milestone for our director Michael Jarvis , who celebrates 30 years with MAST, three decades that have seen the practice grow from a team of 8 people into a 35 plus strong, purpose-led studio working across residential, conservation, retrofit, care and community sectors.

During this time, MAST has evolved from a partnership to an LLP and now to a Ltd company, reflecting a practice that has matured in scale, capability and ambition. Michael has played a central role in strengthening our people-first design ethos, grounded in collaboration, community benefit and long-term value.

Under his leadership, MAST has achieved IIP, IIYP and B Corp certification, reinforcing our commitment to people, planet and purpose. Michael has also championed innovation in MMC and off-site manufacture, helping MAST stay at the forefront of residential design and future-ready construction methods.

A major milestone in recent years has been the development of MAST Energy, drawing on over 40 years of sustainability expertise to integrate energy performance, whole-life costing and whole-life carbon thinking into our work from the outset.

We asked Michael to reflect on his journey:

“I joined MAST (then Mike and Sue Thornley) as a fresh-faced Part 3 student thirty years ago and I am still amazed at how quickly the time has passed. I have always counted myself very lucky as I have found the dream job, being a Community Architect and working with RSLs and councils across Scotland to help create places that genuinely make a difference.

For me it has always been about the people, our team, our clients, our collaborators and the communities we design for. Seeing the practice grow in capability and confidence while staying true to our values has been truly meaningful, and I feel incredibly fortunate to be part of such a brilliant team at MAST.”

As we celebrate this milestone, we also look ahead to new opportunities, new collaborations and a continued commitment to meaningful, sustainable design.