AN ARCHITECT who has been a sole practitioner since setting up his own business nearly 20 years ago, has turned it into a limited company and made two long-standing colleagues his fellow directors.

Sean O'Mahony founded Favonius Architects in 1989 and, this year, decided the structure of the practice needed to change in order for it to develop.

To this end, Favonius, which has been based at the New Barn at Odstock for nearly three years, has become a company and Simon Lock and Stuart Pike have been appointed directors.

"I first met Simon when he was studying architecture and he came to work for the Sarum Partnership where I was then working," said Mr O'Mahony.

"Stuart was at The Burgate School in Fordingbridge in the same class as my son and when I was doing a careers evening for the Royal Institute of British Architects, he came and quizzed me.

"It is good to have two directors who are local, experienced and talented."

Mr O'Mahony built his reputation by specialising in historic buildings, including Oxford colleges, cathedrals and properties in Salisbury Cathedral Close.

However, the practice has also done new work for the Health Protection Agency at Porton Down, and project managed new offices and warehouses at Andover for Euronics, the group of privately owned electrical retailers.

Mr O'Mahony said: "There is still plenty of scope for designing bespoke buildings and to do attractive buildings."

Favonius has won a number of awards, including for the shop front of the former David Brown's delicatessen in Catherine Street, an extension to a listed building in Wimborne and a new build in Quidhampton.

Mr Pike won an RIBA student competition to design a lifeboat station as part of his college project.