Quantity surveyor Bruce Shaw London aims to double the size and turnover of its business within five years.
By 2009 the practice hopes to have more than 100 staff and a turnover of at least £6m.

The growth would involve the company spreading across the UK, with expansion in the Midlands and North being the company's initial targets. At present it only operates out of London and Birmingham.

Bruce Shaw London is targeting blue-chip clients and extensive training programmes to attract staff in a profession that is suffering a skills shortage.

Its current clients include retail giant Marks & Spencer, EDS data centres and housebuilder Redrow, for which it has worked on a number of high-rise apartment buildings.

The practice works primarily in the retail, office and residential sectors. It used to focus on the commercial market, but decided to diversify after the 1980s' office market crash.

Philip Cleary, joint managing partner at the practice, said that the firm would concentrate heavily on cost consultancy.

He said: "We are moving from being a broad QS to cost management. By specialising in that area we can become more effective and focused."