Selected Work
Designing for the site, not against it
Timber house on a sloping site
A timber-framed house set into a sloping garden, arranged to step down the slope so the main rooms open south toward the garden. The street elevation stays modest and low, letting the house settle into its surroundings rather than announce itself.
The reasoning is straightforward: maximise daylight into the living spaces, keep the house private from neighbouring windows, and present a quiet, considered presence to the street. The slope becomes an asset, not a constraint.
Making old and new speak the same language
Victorian terrace: kitchen extension
A single-storey rear extension replaced a dark, partitioned kitchen with one open room under a rooflight, flooded with north light. New joinery echoes the proportions and details of the original house — timber frame sections, panel widths, reveal depths — so the extension reads as a continuation rather than a departure.
The thinking here is that blending works better than contrast. A new room that speaks the language of the old house feels settled and inevitable; one that shouts its newness dates instantly and makes both parts look worse.
Loft conversions and whole-house renovations
Whether opening up a loft for an extra bedroom or reworking a whole house from the foundations up, the same principle holds: listen to what the building is already doing, and amplify it rather than override it. That might mean preserving a Victorian staircase as the organisational spine, or respecting the rhythm of existing windows rather than punching new ones wherever it seems convenient.
Working within constraints that teach you something
Barn conversion: outbuilding to dwelling
Converting a redundant outbuilding or barn into habitable space requires that its original form and materials stay legible. New work — insulation, services, modern finishes — is kept clearly distinguishable from the historic fabric, so a planner or heritage officer can see at a glance what is original and what has been added.
This constraint is actually liberating. It forces clarity of thinking about what is structural, what can be hidden, and where new elements can be proud without damaging the whole. Listed building work teaches you proportion and material honesty faster than almost anything else.
The difference between drawing and building
How a brick bonds to another brick, where a timber frame meets a stone wall, the depth of a window reveal and how light falls into it — these are not decoration. They are the difference between a house that settles and one that telegraphs its newness for decades.
The studio chooses materials — brick, timber, stone, glazing — and works out every junction and proportion in detail before construction begins. A roofline detail is drawn at 1:10, then 1:5, then full size. Corner conditions are resolved in the office, not left for the builder to improvise on site.
This is part of what clients are paying for: fewer surprises during the build, fewer site-made decisions that look wrong in hindsight, and finishes that age honestly rather than look like they're failing. Material choices and detailing are where considered design becomes a building you actually want to live in.
Ready to start
Whether it's a new house, an extension, a listed building, or a whole-house renovation, the approach is the same: listen first, design with precision, and detail with care. If you're thinking about a project, get in touch.
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