Inscape History

Inscape Joinery began work in the summer of 1983. It was first set up in partnership with Steve Evans and Gordon Lawrence both former students of Newbattle Abbey College in Scotland. Gordon was a qualified Central Heating engineer and was already self employed. Steve was in his final year at Edinburgh University and newly married. They set up "Inscape Plumbing and Joinery" and began work installing central heating systems converting bathrooms and kitchens and doing pretty much anything else they were asked to do. Once even repairing a standard lamp that had been made from a steel tube and a steering wheel.

The partnership lasted a year or two before the partners went their separate ways. Steve carried on in business as "Inscape Joinery" and with a £500 loan from the Bank of Scotland bought a little blue van.

One day while fitting a kitchen for a Mr. Ian Wall in Edinburgh he met Donald McLean Logan. Donald was working with a plumber called Jake (Jake the plumber!) Soon after Steve and Donald began an association that lasted for 16 years until Donald died aged 50. Donald had originally been trained as an engineer in Ferranti. His work was meticulous and his patience was unending. It was this association that set the ground rules for Inscape and it was through Donald that Steve was introduced to the Architect Richard Murphy.

The now renowned architect was teaching at Edinburgh University, he had produced plans for the conversion of Donald and Linda Greens' home in Waverly Place, Edinburgh and he agreed to produce a retrospective building warrant for Steve's impetuous demolition of a couple of walls in his Maryfield home.

Marion Blytheman was a mutual client of Jake (the plumber) and Steve's. She asked Steve one day if he knew of an architect with "a bit of imagination" for a garden room she was planning to add on to her Ferry Road home. Richard Murphy produced the plans for the award winning and ground breaking extension at Inverleith Avenue, Edinburgh and Richard asked Steve if he fancied building it.

This was Inscapes' first serious building project and without a great deal of experience on this scale Steve and Donald were joined by Gordon Cox. Together they carried out all the work themselves. Only the stonework, plastering and leadwork was subcontracted. The plasterer, Kevin Todd later joined the firm. This job was the bench mark for future projects and the lack of experience meant that disappearing corners, shadow gaps and bespoke sliding folding glazing and the like were seen as the norm. Inscape has never made a problem out of an idea.

As time moves on Inscape has now worked with Richard Murphy Architects on dozens of projects. They have worked with many of Scotland's new breed of young contemporary architects and they have received 8 RIBA awards, thrice being shortlisted as builder of the best building in Britain in 1995, 1997 and in 2002.

In recent years they have begun to develop their own workshops and the workshop itself has produced award winning work such as the bed for Eileen and John Francis designed by Oliver Chapman. More recently it has built an 11 metre long Shelter for the Tiree Arts Centre designed by Sutherland and Hussey Architects. The Shelter won the RIAS Prize as Scotlands Best Building in 2003.

In January 2003 Inscape moved its Offices and its Workshops out to Dalkeith about 12 miles south of Edinburgh. Into premises on the grounds of Newbattle Abbey College the former seat of the Marquesses of Midlothian and since the 1930's an Adult Learning Centre. Which is just about where this story began. In the words of a song we wrote and performed there in 1979; 'Come to Newbattle, have some fun, where you get your studying done...'