Meet the Block Architects Team
A Close-Knit Team with a Wide Range of Expertise.
When you work with Block Architects, you will get to know the team behind your project.
We’re a close-knit specialist team, bringing together experience across architecture, project delivery, planning, sustainability, interior design, CGI and visualisation.
Being a smaller practice keeps us agile and approachable. Ideas are shared, problems are discussed and the right people can get involved when their expertise is needed.
Meet the Senior Team behind Block
Kenneth Martin
Founder & Managing Director
Architecture | Development | Commercial Strategy | Leadership
More About Kenneth & His Expertise
Kenneth founded Block Architects more than two decades ago and has led the practice through changing markets, evolving regulations and a wide range of projects across Scotland and beyond.
As Managing Director, he brings together architectural experience with a strong understanding of the commercial realities behind development.
For Kenneth, good architecture has never been about design in isolation. A project needs to respond to the client’s ambitions, the site, planning, budget and the practical challenges that come with turning an idea into something real.
That experience has seen him work across residential, commercial, public and specialist projects, supporting everyone from private clients and entrepreneurs to experienced developers and organisations.
Kenneth remains closely involved in the practice and its projects. For clients, that means direct access to the person who has led the business for more than 20 years, while the wider team can draw on his experience across a broad range of projects and challenges.
He is also the host of The Hard Hat Talks, Block’s construction and property podcast. Through conversations with developers, industry leaders, educators and specialists, Kenneth explores the real challenges facing the built environment – and the lessons that can be shared.
You Might Want to Speak to Kenneth About:
- A new development or major project
- Early-stage ideas and project feasibility
- Commercial and residential development
- Finding the right route forward for a complex project
- The Hard Hat Talks podcast
When Away from Block
Kenneth has always enjoyed learning from people who have built something significant. If he could spend a day in somebody else’s shoes, it would be architect Sir Norman Foster – partly to understand the architecture, but also to discover what it takes to build and lead a global design practice.
Speak to Kenneth
To speak to Kenneth, simply call 01698 652630 or click to send him a message directly.
John Burns
Senior Architect – Head of Sustainability
Architecture | Planning | Sustainability | Building Performance
More About John & His Expertise
As much as John’s experience and knowledge is broad across architecture and he gets involved with all aspects of the business, he specialises working across two areas that are becoming increasingly important to almost every project: planning and sustainability.
He helps clients and the wider Block team consider what can be achieved on a site, how proposals respond to planning requirements and where sustainable thinking can be built into a project from an early stage.
His approach to sustainability is practical and considered. He looks at how decisions around building performance, energy use, materials and adaptability can support the needs of a project now, while also considering how it may need to perform and evolve in the future.
John also plays an important role in planning strategy and applications, helping the team balance design ambition with policy, site constraints and the expectations of local authorities.
For clients, that means having someone who can look beyond one part of the process and understand how planning, design, regulation and sustainability connect.
You Might Want to Speak to John About:
- Planning applications and planning strategy
- Early site and project feasibility
- Sustainable architecture and building performance
- Energy efficiency and low-impact design
- Retaining, adapting or improving existing buildings
When Away from Block
John is a keen follower of sport and has huge respect for the dedication needed to compete at the highest level.
If he could experience somebody else’s life for a day, he would choose a top-level sportsperson – someone like Andy Murray – to understand the commitment, resilience and work behind becoming one of the best in the world
Speak to John
To speak to John, simply call 01698 652630 or click to send him a message directly.
Ollie Shields
Associate – Head of Interior Design
Interior Design | Space Planning | Commercial Interiors | Creative Technology
More About Oliver & His Expertise
Interior Design | Space Planning | Commercial Interiors | Creative Technology
Oliver – or Ollie, as he is known around the office – leads Block’s interior design work.
With almost 20 years of experience across commercial interiors and architectural services, he has worked on hospitality, office, retail, education and high-end residential projects.
His work focuses on more than how a space looks.
Ollie considers how people will actually use it, move through it and experience it. That can mean rethinking layouts, improving the relationship between different areas or helping a client see possibilities within a space that are difficult to imagine from a traditional plan.
He also has a strong interest in the technology behind modern design and visualisation.
Working closely with the wider Block team, Ollie helps bridge the gap between architecture and interiors so that the two are considered together rather than as separate parts of a project.
You Might Want to Speak to Oliver About:
- Commercial and residential interiors
- Space planning and reconfiguration
- Hospitality, office and retail environments
- Seeing the potential in an existing space
- Using visualisation to explore ideas before committing
When Away from Block
Ollie’s choice for a day in somebody else’s shoes is an easy one: Diego Maradona.
His footballing hero growing up, Maradona had, in Ollie’s words, a wand of a left foot – and certainly lived an interesting life both on and off the pitch.
Speak to Oliver
To speak to Oliver, simply call 01698 652630 or click to send him a message directly.
Andy Ferguson
Head of Marketing & Communications (Associate)
Marketing Strategy | Brand & Communications | Growth | AI & Technology
More About Andy & His Expertise
Andy leads the marketing and communications activity behind Block, working closely with the wider team to help shape how the practice communicates, grows and connects with clients.
With more than 20 years of marketing experience, much of it spent in construction, property and the built environment, he brings a strong understanding of the sectors Block works in and the people the practice wants to reach.
Andy works across Block’s wider marketing strategy, website and digital presence, content, lead generation, client communications and brand development. He is also closely involved in finding practical ways to use AI, automation and new technology to help the team work smarter.
As a Member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, Andy brings both strategic marketing experience and a practical understanding of what makes people take notice, engage and ultimately get in touch.
He also works closely with Kenneth on The Hard Hat Talks, helping shape and develop the podcast from guest and topic ideas through to production, promotion and getting each conversation in front of the right audience.
At Block, Andy’s role is ultimately about helping good work get seen, good ideas get heard and making it easier for the right clients to find and understand what the team can do.
You Might Want to Speak to Andy About:
- Anything about marketing, communication and IT
- The Hard Hat Talks podcast
- Industry collaborations and partnerships
- Something you have seen, heard or read from Block
When Away from Block
When he’s not working on marketing ideas or testing another piece of technology, Andy is happiest outdoors.
Kayaking, skiing and snowboarding are among his favourite ways to escape the screen, along with cycling – particularly when it involves a bit more adventure than simply following the same familiar route.
Speak to Andy
To speak to Andy, simply call 01698 652630 or click to send him a message directly.
A Smaller Team. A More Joined-Up Approach
One of the advantages of working with Block is that expertise does not sit in separate departments. Our team works closely together.
A planning question can involve John. An interior challenge can bring in Ollie and his team. A technical delivery issue can draw on everyone’s experience. CGI, drone technology or sustainability may involve John. And Kenneth remains closely connected to the practice and its projects.
That means clients are not simply passed from one department to another.
You have access to a close-knit team that shares ideas, solves problems together and brings in the right expertise when your project needs it.
Who Do You Need to Speak To?
You may already know exactly what you need.
Or you might have a site, a building or an idea and need help working out what comes next.
Either way, we are happy to chat.
Get in touch and we’ll make sure you talk to the right person.
Contact our team on 01698 652630 or click to chat or message us online.