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.

Some projects just lend themselves to different types of plan form, and we like to explore the possibilities an unusual project can allow.

This classical villa in an urban parkland is an excellent example of this. The main rooms radiate from a central octagonal stair hall and are linked with sweeping curved corridors. The enfillade of the central three spaces acts as a counterpoint to the ‘concealed’ drawing room to the rear which you enter through a journey of discovery.

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.

First impressions count. And nothing makes a good first impression like an well designed entrance hall.

For this project in Wiltshire we restored the entrance hall of this Grade II listed 19th century home, retaining, repairing and cleaning Victorian encaustic floor tiles and providing plenty of space for coats. The spaciousness of the room gives a generosity of feeling to the house from the very first room.

We really appreciate Classical architecture and count ourselves lucky to often work in this style in both our new build and conservation work.

The effortless elegance of this entrance porch could never be mistaken for being of any other style. The cyma recta moulding of the porch canopy is perfectly balanced by the corbel brackets which combine ovolo, cyma recta and cavetto profiles. An understanding of these different components and their language is key to producing architecture worthy of the Classical label.

Time can be unkind to buildings, they are modified and changed as time and requirements dictate over the years. Listing a building stops further harm happening, but does not undo the wrongs of the past. Sometimes an opportunity to can arise however to do so.

The pair of buildings, one 17th century and one 19th century had been modified on the ground floor to provide a single unified frontage for a car dealership. When this closed, our clients looked to convert the building back to shops and we were tasked with designing a more appropriate pair of shopfronts, more suited to the individual buildings.

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.

There are different approaches that can be taken when extending a listed building. Alterations can be designed to contrast the historic building or to complement the existing fabric. Careful judgement is required to develop the right strategy for the building and the client.

For this Grade II* listed property in Hampshire, the right solution was to compliment, whilst remaining subservient to the original Queen Anne house.

People often assume windows must be white, but that isn’t the case. There are many historical precedents for windows being coloured, throughout the history of architecture.

This Georgian style property we designed in the Test Valley has its windows, door case and porch painted in a pastel colour. This keeps the joinery feeling light and bright but without the starkness that brilliant white can sometimes bring.