Arthur Bracewell establishes practice in Tillicoultry

Mill Glen Footpaths & Access Bridges

Garden Village Planning Begins: Bracewell begins work on an ambitious “garden suburb” masterplan near the Devonvale mills. His designs feature cottage-style workers’ homes, a community hall, landscaped recreation grounds, tennis courts, and bowling pavilions. These amenities reflect contemporary Garden City ideals and demonstrate the firm’s early commitment to healthy, socially integrated living environments. This village plan became the practice’s first major project and helped establish its long-term focus.

Garden City Council Housing, Tillicoultry

Housing, Moss Road, Tillicoultry

Arthur Bracewell War Effort: during WW2 spent 3 days a week working for Harland Engineering which latterly became Weir Pumps

Devonvale Hall Completed: Arthur Bracewell designs Devonvale Hall in Tillicoultry as the social centrepiece of the mill village. The two-storey entertainment venue blends Art Deco and Neo-Georgian features and incorporates the Devonvale butterfly emblem in its facade.

Devonvale Crescent completed: 2 back to back crescents of houses forming a built realisation of the butterfly, the Samuel Jones Mill Owners motif.

Janet Bracewell Joins: Arthur Bracewell’s daughter Janet, who had studied at an architectural college and worked as a draughtswoman at Rolls Royce during the war, joined her father in the Tillicoultry office in 1947. This represented the first involvement of a second generation in the practice.

Devonvale War Memorial: Designed by sculptor C. O. Pilkington Jackson in collaboration with Arthur Bracewell, the memorial features stone gate piers and the Devonvale butterfly motif. Located at the entrance to Tillicoultry’s Recreation Ground, it honours mill workers lost in WWII.

Bill Bracewell Qualifies: Arthur Geoffrey (“Bill”) Bracewell, son of the founder, completes his architectural diploma at the Glasgow School of Art, following wartime service in the Reconnaissance Corps in West Africa and Burma

Founder’s Son Joins: Bill Bracewell formally joins the practice in 1952, at which point the firm is renamed Arthur Bracewell & Son, marking its first generational

Founder’s Death: Arthur Bracewell Sr. passes away in July 1953, aged 67. His son Bill assumes full control of the practice, ensuring a seamless continuation into its second generation

The Butterfly Inn, Tillicoultry: Bill Bracewell converts the former Devonvale Mill works canteen into a public inn, retaining the butterfly emblem as a symbolic architectural motif.

Office Relocation: The firm moves from its original base in the former Middleton Mill offices to 38 Walker Terrace, Tillicoultry, which would remain its headquarters for the next seven decades. The Building, which was formerly the Manse is a fine gothic villa with decorated ridge, front gable and bay window designed by Adam Frame in 1889

Tillicoultry Glen formally opened by Arthur Bracewell’s widow Mrs Janet Bracewell and commemorated by a plaque on the cairn at Glenfoot

Shillinghill Housing: Bill designs a series of white- rendered modernist homes on Shillinghill, Upper Mill Street, for Tillicoultry Burgh Council

Partnership Expansion: The practice enters a new era as Bracewell, Harrison & Coton, reflecting the addition of partners John Harrison and Jim Coton alongside Arthur G. (“Bill”) Bracewell. This marked the shift away from a purely family-run practice toward a broader professional partnership.

Fir Park Housing, Alva: Arthur G. Bracewell designs a distinctive row of sloped, single-storey council houses for elderly residents near Fir Park Academy. The stepped plan and simplified modern forms reflected post-war housing innovation while providing practical, accessible living environments.

Engineering Partnership: Structural engineer E.E. Sweeting briefly acts as a partner, bringing technical expertise to the practice at a time when projects were becoming more complex.

Duncan C. Stirling Becomes Partner: Duncan Stirling joins the practice as a partner in July 1974, marking a major transition. His arrival signalled the beginning of a new era: the practice was no longer a family- led business, but a broader partnership building its own identity.

Broomhall Mansion Conversion: The practice undertakes the adaptive reuse of the fire-damaged 19th- century Broomhall Mansion (previously Clifford Park School), beginning its conversion into a hotel. This reflected the firm’s growing involvement in large-scale conservation and reuse projects

Allan D. Rennie Joins: Allan Rennie becomes a partner in 1978. He would go on to be a longstanding figure in the practice for several decades, contributing to housing, commercial, and conservation projects.

Name Change: With the retirement of Harrison and Coton, the firm is formally renamed the Bracewell Stirling Partnership, reflecting the leadership of Duncan Stirling and Arthur G. (“Bill”) Bracewell. This new identity positioned the firm as a modern Scottish architectural partnership with both family legacy and new blood at the helm.

Sam Sweeney joins the practice. His design contributions and leadership potential are quickly recognised, and he would later be promoted to Partner in 1991

Retirement of A.G. Bracewell: Arthur Geoffrey (“Bill”) Bracewell, son of the founder, retires from the practice after more than 30 years of leadership. His departure marked the end of active Bracewell family involvement in the day-to-day running of the firm.

Stephen Blennerhassett joins the practice in the late 1980s, bringing new design energy. He would become a Partner a decade later, in 1999

The practice is formally renamed Bracewell Stirling Architects, reflecting its modernised identity after the Bracewell family era. At the same time, Sam Sweeney is promoted to Partner, having joined in the 1980s

David Keith joins the practice in 1991. Over the following decades he becomes a central figure in the firm’s growth.

To serve increasing demand in the Highlands, Bracewell Stirling opens an Inverness office. This expansion reflected the firm’s strategy of operating regionally across Scotland

Housing and Community Projects: This decade was a period of major output, with extensive housing schemes for councils, housing associations, and private developers completed across Central Scotland and the Highlands

Stephen Blennerhassett and David Keith are both promoted to Partner in 1999. This appointment solidified a new leadership team for the 2000s, alongside Duncan Stirling, Allan Rennie, and Sam Sweeney.

Amanda MacRitchie joins the practice on 1 August 2000. She becomes a Partner on 1 July 2006, strengthening the leadership team for the next generation

Bracewell Stirling significantly broadens its geographic reach and portfolio, delivering large-scale housing developments, as well as commercial and community projects including retail parks, hotels, and leisure centres. The practice built strong partnerships with national housebuilders and housing associations, cementing its reputation as a major player in Scottish residential and mixed-use design.

A major commission saw Bracewell Stirling design the South Stand at Falkirk Stadium, a high-profile sports project that enhanced the club’s facilities and reinforced the firm’s ability to handle complex, multi-million-pound projects.

Reflecting its expanded consultancy services in Planning & Masterplanning the firm changes its name to Bracewell Stirling Consulting. This repositioning highlights its evolution from a traditional architectural practice to a multi-disciplinary consultancy.

The firm established a new office in Oban, extending its presence to the west coast.

Approved Energy Certifiers and Passivhaus Designers.

Joined the GEG Capital Group.

Bracewell celebrates its 100th anniversary with a rebrand and a relocation to Stirling of the Tillicoultry office, ending 70 years at 38 Walker Terrace.