An impressive model of Tottenham was on display as a globally renowned architecture firm opened a branch in Bruce Grove this evening.

John McAslan + Partners, which is moving into premises in the High Road and taking on local apprentices, launched their practice with Haringey Council's leader Councillor Claire Kober and chief executive Nick Walkley.

Mr Walkley thanked Mayor of London Boris Johnson for the opening of the practice.

He said: “Boris invited Claire to lunch and she met John [McAslan]. She came back and said ‘I’ve met this bloke, I think he’s an architect.’”

Cllr Kober said the new building went towards making the improvements to the borough “tangible”, and that the opening of the business was “about the symbol but also about the practicalities”.

She said: “We’ve always felt that Haringey and Tottenham are the future of London”, adding, “I think that until now it’s been a borough that hasn’t quite realised its potential.”

Cllr Kober said the school pupils in Haringey were achieving some of the most improved GCSE results in the UK, and that the “opportunities of London” needed to be open to Tottenham’s young people.

Aidan Potter, the design director of John McAslan, described walking around Tottenham with the council’s chief executive, Nick Walkely, 18 months ago.

He said: “We thought we needed to be here”, adding, “but this is a new model of practice. This is an open and creative business”.

Zehra Harrison, of Lordship Lane, and Daisy Ignatiou, of Vartry Road, are current apprentices at the architecture firm.

Zehra works on creating CGI pictures and Daisy works on marketing. Both spend four days a week at the company and one day a week at the College of Haringey, Enfield and North London studying creative and digital media.

Ms Ignatious said:  “I’m loving it. It’s thrilling. I’ve gained so much experience already. This is so much better for me than more studying, I’ve just left school and I get up every day to go to this amazing workplace.

“It’s especially good because my grandparents lived above the building in the 1970s. So for me to see something positive happening here in Tottenham is amazing.”