Winter 2026 Newsletter

On the Drawing Board

Recently we’ve been privileged to have the opportunity to design a variety of one-off houses, in and around the Cotswolds. We endeavour to bring strong design imagination to all schemes and take context inspired opportunities, that connect our proposals to the countryside maximising the project opportunity for our clients and the site.   

Each site and project we work on has many layers of considerations, and we strive to order these so we can focus on the delightful aspects of architecture that transform everybody’s living experience.

We think about aspects such as where the sun rises, how you arrive at the property, where you walk, and what you will look at. These are just some examples of the ballet of life, considerations that are part of designing bespoke buildings to ensure they are a perfect fit for our clients lifestyles.

Planning 

During 2025 we have wrestled with Planning, and whilst noting it has been challenging, we have had some rewarding successes for our clients. These design successes are down to our design acumen, our design process, our in-depth knowledge of the local planning departments, and local policy nuances.

Some stand out permissions we have secured in 2025 include:  

• An indoor Swimming Pool addition to a traditional Farmhouse within the Oxford Green Belt
• A remodel, retro fit and extension of a large single storey Country House near Stroud
• Adding a new, contemporary wing to a Farmhouse within a West Oxfordshire conservation area

These are just a sample of our interactions with LPA’s which, although can be challenging at times, often lead to very considered solutions.

Get in touch with the team today to see how we can help you move your project forward. 

On Site

As a practice we aim to provide a full suite of Architectural Services for our Clients that follow the RIBA stages along a traditional procurement route. This enables us to be involved in a project from the beginning to the end, taking a project from concept design, through planning, building regulations, tender packages to contract administration on site. In this way we can ensure a design journey is smoother, often reducing time on site, and ensuring the finished project achieves the original vision our clients started with.

We enjoy working closely with fellow consultants, those who are specialist at what they do, enabling us to focus on delivering a project that realises the design quality invested in it.  

To learn more the design journey for each project, you can find details about our process here.

Supporting Site Progress

Throughout the year we have been regularly visiting multiple sites as we perform our roles as Contract Administrator, Principal Designers CDM and Building Regulations on our projects.

It is always a great privilege as we watch the buildings we have designed take shape on site, to see the concepts become reality. Our regular site meetings ensure the project stays on track, often reducing construction time, and allow us to quickly deal with any unforeseen issues in line with the original design intent.

Completion

Often long after the contractor has completed the work, the dust has settled, and the landscaping has matured a little, we love to send around a professional photographer to capture a completed project in its best light. We like to have these to show our portfolio of work, but also, we like to give them as a gift to our clients.

This year we managed to capture a few of our beautiful projects, which we look forward to sharing soon. Here is a snapshot of West Court, a beautifully renovated and extended Arts and Crafts house in central Cheltenham, Gloucestershire - read more about the project here.