HOKO, the Glasgow-headquartered architecture firm founded by architect and BBC Scotland’s Home of the Year judge Danny Campbell, has announced two senior appointments.
The company has added Andrew Dobbie and Amir Hossein Noori as board advisors, describing the pair as leading figures in design tech and branding respectively.
The appointments come as HOKO embarks on a live EIS fundraise, with the aim of securing an additional £200,000 as interim funding which will enable the company to enhance its AI-driven architectural tools and prepare for its next major investment round.
Amir Hossein Noori, a London-based architectural designer, tech innovator and founder of AI Hub, will oversee the development of three ‘revolutionary’ software tools designed to transform the architectural process.
Amir’s company, AI Hub, is working to implement a visualisation platform that reduces what was once a four-day process to just 30 minutes, as well as real-time cost reporting. Also in development is a regulatory quality control tool that ensures compliance at the earliest stages of design.
Having grown MadeBrave into a multi-million-pound business working with global brands such as Nestlé and Diageo, Andrew Dobbie will lead the architecture practice’s branding and storytelling.
Architect Danny Campbell said, “UK homeowners spend more than £55 billion on home renovations every year, and there are more than 450,000 UK home planning applications decided each year, but there is no household name in architecture, yet. I also don’t believe there is a residential practice harnessing the power of AI in the way we plan to.
“I am incredibly excited to welcome Andrew, with his vision and experience in making brands famous, and Amir, with his unparalleled knowledge of AI in architecture, to help HOKO conquer both the UK and international markets.
“We’re not just talking about streamlining processes; we’re fundamentally changing how architecture is delivered. To be the first household name in architecture is an ambitious goal, but with the right team – which we now have – and immensely scalable AI tools, we’ll prove it’s possible.”
Since its founding in 2019, HOKO has completed over 1,000 projects. Described as ‘Uber for architecture’, the business has already attracted backing from investors Donald Wilson, Graham Campbell and Warren Gee. In total, including a 2021 crowdfunding campaign, the firm has already raised more than £750,000.
