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.

Analysis of a site can tell you a lot of things which can inform and shape the design of a building. Where are the views? Where is the prevailing weather coming from?

The start point of this project in Oxfordshire, as a result of our analysis, was to create a building which sheltered the entrance from the prevailing winds. The exposed site meant that without this, anyone arriving at the house would find it a rather gusty experience. Not the best first impression…

This country house is one of our favourites.

The scale is carefully modelled to give maximum floor area for the minimum bulk. The building is broken down into elements to give the impression of a developing language, with subsidiary elements further reducing the perceived size of the building.

Why did we do this? To deliver the space our clients needed, but in a way respectful to the picturesque setting on the edge of a beautiful village. The results speak for themselves.

Classical architecture has an inherent richness to it.

Choosing to build new buildings in this style is something that should not be taken lightly. Without the depth of design and detail, the resulting building can end up looking unconvincing. However, when clients commit to the language of classicism, the results, as at this stunning Wiltshire home, speak for themselves.

We work in a variety of architecture languages from the modern to the classical, but also the vernacular.

This triple gable fronted family home is located in the countryside on the Berkshire/Hampshire border and replaced a unpromising cottage. The vernacular language we employed here responded to the architectural qualities of the original cottage but replaced it with a property befitting its location.

Even in the most unpromising places, beauty can be created.

This derelict poultry farm in the Test Valley was a visual detractor from the surrounding landscape of this part of Hampshire. Our design for this stunning Classical country house gained consent as a replacement offering considerable visual improvement. The result is a comfortable family home set in beautiful landscaped grounds.

We here at AOA love dogs and we love Classical architecture.

What could be better then a picture of our clients Golden Retriever and their beautiful classical country house we’ve recently completed for them in the background. The best of both.

It is very important to us to be, wherever possible, genuine in the materials we use. Natural materials have an inherent beauty that is second to none.

We were very lucky to have a ‘resident’ stonemason on a country house project we worked on in Wiltshire. Here are some of the carved pieces which made their way onto the final building including cornices, architraves and capitals.

Whilst we love town life, country life is our great passion.

It is fitting then to look back at when one of our country house projects in the Test Valley was featured in Country Life magazine in November 2004. Author Caroline Fetherstonhaugh chose our scheme as one of just five homes carefully selected to represent “new houses in the classical tradition”.

We often work on sites which already have a building on them. Whilst that can sometimes lead to a scheme which includes the existing building, sometimes a better outcome can be developed by starting again. Here is a before and after photo showing how this approach can lead to an award winning result. This family home in Wiltshire is a firm favourite in our portfolio and sits on a site within a village site found for our clients by Sarah ERSKINE-HILL, with windows by Mumford & Wood Ltd.

When we design homes we are always striving for beauty and elegance whilst maximising value area. Including accommodation floorspace within the roof structure can provide useful additional area, but can make the roof look quite bulky. To avoid the roof looking bulky, we often introduce dormers, rooflights and sprocketed eaves.

Introducing a sprocketed eaves can help to disguise the mass of the roof and provide a deep eaves to cast a pleasing shadow on the façade of the building. This award winning home in Wiltshire includes three storeys of accommodation but the gentle change of roof pitch (the sprocket) as it runs up helps visually lighten the mass this extra floor would normally create.

Seeing the potential in sites can sometimes be difficult, an underwhelming house in the wrong place on the plot can cloud someone’s judgement. We relish the challenge of looking beyond the existing to create a dream property whilst is perfect for the site.

A good example of that is this project in Berkshire we designed which replaced an understated bungalow with a Classical country house. The resulting house is much more suited to the parkland like gardens and sylvan setting of the property.

We think Georgian architecture is gorgeous, so we were very pleased when Jason Orme applied the same term to our work in the title of his article about one of our country house projects in Wiltshire. The article, in the April 2015 issue of Homebuilding and Renovating Magazine, illustrates this beautiful family home across 9 pages with pictures by Simon Maxwell.

The beginning of the article sums up our approach to this style of home perfectly... "Creating a well-executed new home in traditional style requires the services of a skilled designer and a willingness to stress about the details".