This bespoke modern family home offers a thoughtful take on local vernacular, blending contemporary design with the character of its rural surroundings.

Balancing modern functionality with sensitivity to its context, the home integrates sustainable materials and energy-efficient technologies for long-term practicality.

This project represents a modern interpretation of rural living, grounded in heritage yet designed for the future.

Clay tiles have been used in British architecture for centuries, offering both durability and classic aesthetic appeal. Whether on a period home or a new-build with traditional character, handmade clay tiles bring warmth, texture, and longevity to a roofscape.

Why we love clay tiles:

• Naturally weather-resistant & long-lasting (100+ years!)

•  Rich, earthy tones that improve with age

• Sustainable—made from natural clay & fully recyclable

Lime plaster and mortar are the backbone of traditional British architecture. Unlike modern cement-based alternatives, lime-based materials are flexible and breathable, making them ideal for historic buildings and sustainable new builds alike.

Why we use lime in our projects:

•  Allows buildings to ‘breathe’—preventing damp issues

•  More sustainable than cement-based products

• Provides a softer, more authentic aesthetic

Designed for a private client, this innovative passive house is carefully positioned within the unique setting of a disused lime quarry.

The building’s form was meticulously planned to respond to the sun’s path, allowing southern light to flood the interior while the highly insulated northern façade, with minimal glazing, reduced heat loss. The curved, linear design followed the natural contours of the quarry, stepping gracefully into the landscape.

Traditional handmade clay bricks offer a richness and authenticity that modern mass-produced bricks often lack. Their subtle variations in tone and texture add depth and warmth, making them ideal for conservation work or new classical homes.

Set within idyllic gardens and woodland, this elegant country house in Berkshire was designed to replace a modest 1960s home.

This ‘Queen Anne’ style residence is a modern interpretation of the English country house, and features:

• Grand but welcoming entrance halls

• High ceilings & generous natural light

• Meticulously detailed façades

At Alex Oliver Associates, we use high-quality, handcrafted timber sash windows for our projects.

Why choose timber sash windows?

• Period-accurate detailing for heritage properties

• Sustainable & repairable—unlike uPVC alternatives

• Beautiful proportions that enhance natural light

This country home was built using a mixture of flint, brick and stone to create character and visual appeal.

Flint, which has long been a staple of British vernacular architecture, remains a popular choice for the following reasons:

•  Naturally strong & weather-resistant—ideal for British climates

•  Low-carbon material, sourced directly from local quarries

•  Distinctive visual appeal, especially in contrast with brick & stone

Some of the most elegant homes are built from materials that stand the test of time. Natural stone brings warmth, texture, and durability to a design, and we love incorporating it into our projects.

Bath stone, sourced from a local quarry, was used to create a Doric portico for this classical country house.

Timber sash windows are a defining feature of Britain’s architectural history, from elegant Georgian townhouses to Victorian terraces.

At Alex Oliver Associates, we prioritise high-quality, handcrafted timber sashes to maintain authenticity in restoration projects and traditional-style new builds.

The English country house is a symbol of timeless elegance, and we take great pride in continuing this tradition through thoughtful, well-proportioned designs.

Our work at this house in the South Downs is a modern interpretation of this classic style.

Flint has been a staple of British vernacular architecture for centuries, particularly in the South of England. Whether used in traditional flint-knapped walls or as a striking feature in contemporary builds, this locally sourced, highly durable material adds character and texture.

This Arts and Crafts style home demonstrates the distinctive visual appeal of flint, especially when placed in contrast with brick and stone.

This cottage in Wiltshire is in its final stages, having been transformed from a small outbuilding.

We designed the main house on this estate a few years ago and were excited to be invited back for this project.

The result is a picturesque cottage which perfectly compliments the main house, using the same combination of red brick and white accents.

This Georgian style country house was designed to have a formal character, reflecting the gentrification and rising affluence which led to the introduction of more formal and varied living accommodation to traditional farm holdings.

Widely used in Ancient Greece the idea of a portico on classical buildings has influenced many design cultures since.

The addition of a portico to this award winning house in Wiltshire adds depth and interest to what could otherwise be a ‘flat’ elevation. The signification of the entrance helps draw the eye visually and practically provides a covered place to stand while the door is opened. Simple, elegant and effective.

Breathing new uses into redundant structures is an important part of ensuring they remain for future generations.

We restored this listed barn and transformed it into additional accommodation for our clients. Key elements of the historic fabric were retained, with new fenestration to replace inappropriate modern glazing, with a new vertical emphasis more in keeping with the barns character.

Getting the proportions of a room feeling comfortable sometimes requires lateral thinking.

This extension to a Grade II* listed country house had a low roof, but the size of the room demanded a high ceiling to feel proportionally correct. A large cover and floating central ceiling section add interest and height but disguise the hidden structure behind.

At the heart of the classical language of architect are the ideas of proportion and symmetry. These drive the elegant looks of buildings designed in this language.

The benefits of the correct use of proportion and symmetry are illustrated nicely by this family home in Wiltshire. Careful balance is needed to create an elegant home and the successful result remains a popular project in our portfolio.

Continuing our look back at 25 years of Alex Oliver Associates, we look back today to, perhaps, one of our favourite barn conversions.

By keeping as much of the historic fabric as possible, the converted building still looks and feels like the original, but transformed into comfortable family accommodation.

You don’t always need a huge amount of information to convey the sense of a space, place or set of buildings. Computer Generated Images have their place, but sometimes it is as much about what you leave out as much as you leave in.

These sketch visuals of an infill housing scheme in Buckinghamshire are not ultra realistic, but they still give the overall impression of the feeling of the development. A collection of traditionally styled houses give the feeling of a series of homes which have been part of the village, rather than new introductions.