175 Years of Muir Walker Pride: Celebrating a St Andrews Original

This year marks a very special milestone for one of St Andrews’ longest-standing businesses. Muir Walker Pride, the architectural practice many of us walk past, work with, or benefit from without even realising it, is celebrating an incredible 175 years in the town.

To put that into perspective: the firm began designing buildings here before the first golf clubhouses were built, before public electricity was introduced to the town, and long before St Andrews began to take on the streetscape we recognise today.

St Andrews Story from the Start

The practice began in 1850 with Jesse Hall, a young architect who set up shop from his home on Market Street. His first jobs were for the University, and that relationship between MWP and the town’s institutions has carried on ever since.

Over the decades the name on the door has changed- Hall & Henry, Walker and Pride, and since 2011, Muir Walker Pride- but the practice has never left St Andrews. That’s what makes this anniversary so special. Very few architectural firms in the world can trace their roots back this far in the same place.

A Legacy Hidden in Plain Sight

Chances are you’ve walked past countless Muir Walker Pride projects without ever realising it. From the restoration of some of St Andrews’ best-known historic buildings, to new homes tucked down closes, to contemporary developments like Century Court and other sensitive town-centre infill sites, their work is woven quietly but unmistakably through the fabric of the town.

What’s remarkable is the breadth of this legacy. Over the decades, the practice has contributed to everything from post-war social housing to industrial buildings and finely crafted private commissions — a reminder that architecture is not only about grand landmarks, but also about the everyday places where people live, work, shop and study.

A Practice That Has Weathered Everything

What stands out most is the sheer resilience of the business. MWP has worked through two world wars, recessions, the loss and revival of industries, dramatic shifts in town planning, and the arrival of digital design. Through it all, they have stayed rooted here, continuing to design for local people and local needs.

And while their earliest drawings were done with ink and rulers, at the heart of Muir Walker Pride’s approach today is a commitment to designing buildings that are as resilient and timeless as those created by founders Hall and Henry, while remaining deeply conscious of their environmental footprintwork. Green roofs, low-carbon design, careful reuse of existing buildings and materials- it’s the same commitment to good design, simply adapted for a very different age.

Why This Matters to St Andrews

Architecture shapes the look and feel of our town more than almost anything else. To have a practice with this depth of history — and with so much of its work woven into our streets — is something genuinely special.

175 years isn’t just an anniversary. It’s a reminder of the layers of stories, people and skill that lie behind the buildings we walk past every day.

A huge congratulations to the whole team at Muir Walker Pride on this incredible landmark year.

If you would like to learn more about MWP’s remarkable 175-year journey and browse a wider selection of their work, you can explore their website here.