About

Crowstep Conservation

RIBA Conservation Architect  ·  SPAB Scholar 2025  ·  ARB

crowstep, n. The stepped profile of a gable coping, formed by a series of stone projections ascending the pitch of the roof. A characteristic detail of Scottish vernacular building, found in bothies, farmsteads, estate buildings, domestic architecture and grand country houses from the medieval period onwards.

Crowstep Conservation is an architecture led, surveyor minded conservation practice for traditional and historic buildings, based in Edinburgh and working across Scotland. It works where condition, significance, consent, repair strategy and sensitive change need to be considered together.

Ashley trained at Dundee School of Architecture and holds postgraduate qualifications in applied building repair and conservation from Trinity College Dublin. His professional background includes Alastair Coey Architects and Consarc Design Group in Belfast, a period as Regional Building Conservation Surveyor at the National Trust for Scotland, and the SPAB Scholarship completed in 2025.

That background informs how the practice approaches a commission. Surveys are carried out by the same person who prepares the specification and administers the contract. There is no separation between inspection and judgement. Buildings are assessed on their own terms and the work that follows is proportionate to the evidence available.