THREE technicians have joined Niven Architects in Darlington.

Senior technician CIARAN WALSH, 33, has joined the Coniscliffe Road practice from leading Dublin architects McCrossan O'Rourke Manning.

His wife, Siobhan, comes from Ushaw Moor, near Durham.

GARETH ALDERSON, 33, left construction design company ARCHwise Systems, of Chilton, County Durham, to join Niven.

NEIL LOMAS has joined the practice from school.

The 17-year-old, who was a pupil at Egglescliffe School, near Yarm, is on a modern apprenticeship programme and was put forward for the trainee technician position at Niven Architects through the North-East Chamber of Commerce.