But Tony Allies has proved the exception to the rule.

He not only lives in the development, but has also just set up a new office there too.

Mr Allies, 55, designed the award-winning residential side of Gunwharf Quays in Portsmouth, and he was so thrilled with the way it turned out, he decided to stay put.

He said: 'I lived in one of the first apartments to be finished and was so proud to be able to walk to work on the site every day and see the rest of the development going up.'

Now he lives and works from one of the converted loft units in the historic Vulcan building – one of the last pieces in the waterfront Gunwharf jigsaw to be completed.

'Architects often get a lot of stick for not living in the buildings they've designed, but I couldn't be happier living here,' he said.

'I was involved in the construction of the residential half of Gunwharf for five years from 1998 – a development I'm really proud to have been associated with.'

And his business – Allies Associates, which he set up in 1986 – is flourishing despite the general gloom around at the moment sparked by the credit crunch.

He has been joined by partner Matt Stevens who works out of a new office they have established in Bournemouth.

Mr Allies said: 'Yes, the market is difficult at the moment, particularly the private housing market.

'So you have to find areas which are not so badly affected, and there are great opportunities around at the moment in the housing association and affordable housing sectors.

'When the markets do pick up, which they undoubtedly will, we'll be well placed to go from strength to strength.'

Mr Allies, who studied at the old Portsmouth Polytechnic, has also designed the controversial 96-home development on the former Liningtons Renault garage site in Milton Road, Portsmouth – a scheme which was originally thrown out by city councillors but was approved by an inspector on appeal.