Can we help you to maximise the potential in your property?

Are you thinking about renovating or extending your property, or considering a new build for your home or work?

We are a Somerset based RIBA Chartered Architectural practice and structural engineering company, established in 1989. We have completed many renovations, including Listed properties, former mill and agricultural buildings and conversions of existing buildings to new uses, as well as new buildings, both replacement and “green field” projects.

We work with our clients from the inception of a project, through to the completion of the build. We take time to find out what they are trying to achieve, and to establish their priorities and goals. We advise and guide our clients to maximise the potential of their property, within the constraints of time, budget and practicability.

Recent projects include a new village house which was commended in the LABC best individual new home in Somerset Awards in 2018, a new house in the grounds of a Grade ll Listed building, a major repair and refurbishment of a 16th century Grade ll* former hall house and extensions to a number of houses.

We believe that buildings should be sustainable, not only the new builds, but also the vast number of existing buildings in the UK, and, that buildings should be built to last, and to be capable of adaptation to new uses and to new technologies. New buildings are simpler to deal with than renovations, but it is equally as important to treat existing buildings, as noted this February 2019 by the UK Committee on Climate Change –

The 29 million existing homes across the UK must be made low carbon, low-energy and resilient to a changing climate (a).

The targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions over the next 30 years are onerous, but we can make changes to our buildings that will make a contribution. The UK requires a significant number of low energy new dwellings to meet current housing demand, and we need to improve the quality and efficiency of the large number of existing properties to achieve these targets.

Maximising the potential of your property is not only concerned with extending the building. It includes optimising the use of the existing internal spaces and of the gardens, with or without new extensions, as well as assessing where alterations can be made to reduce energy use and to improve the internal environment and air quality. Water use and resilience to flooding are also important considerations.

Retaining and adapting existing buildings is a sustainable approach, but care is required to understand the construction and materials used in the existing building. This will inform the selection of appropriate techniques and materials for the refurbishment, as installing inappropriate materials can cause harm to the building and the occupants.

If you have an upcoming building project – a new build or refurbishment – we would be delighted to talk with you, to see if we can be of assistance, and help you maximise your property’s potential. Contact us today

(a) Committee on Climate Change, UK housing: Fit for the future? London 2019.