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.

Colour can really change our perception of space.

On paper, the ensuite bathroom in the attic of a farmhouse of restoration in Wiltshire might not have looked interesting, but careful detailing and the client’s use of deep colours gives a powerful impact you might not have expected from the plans.

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…

We're pleased to see one of our houses featured in Country Life Property this week.

Penny Churchill spoke to Alex about this family home we designed in Berkshire, to discuss the design thinking behind it.

The property is now for sale through Alex Barton at Strutt & Parker in Newbury.

The first impression of a home should be one of generosity of space, regardless of the size of the house.

If the entrance hall feels spacious and welcoming, even a small house will feel more comfortable as a result. The entrance space of this country house we restored in Wiltshire feels generous as a result of being able to take statement pieces of furniture and by opening into and adjoining space to make it feel bigger than it is.

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.

We talk about craftsmanship a lot in the studio, but is it really that important?

Yes this doorcase would have looked beautiful a simpler frieze, but the extra visual lift the decorative carving here adds changes this from something beautiful, to something truly special. Entirely carved by hand, this is why we cherish craftsmanship so much.

Whilst beautifully rendered watercolour drawings are excellent as presentation drawings, sometimes the artistic qualities of a sketch conveys the idea being discussed and we often produce concept sketches to communicate the interior ambiance and spaces we are designing.

This sketch is of a vaulted kitchen breakfast room as part of the remodelling of a large country house in West Berkshire.

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.

The inherent beauty of correct proportions can be seen throughout nature, the human body and in classical architecture.

This is well illustrated by the beauty of the Golden Section proportions of this new build country house in Berkshire, balanced with the elegant landscape as part of the driveway approach, centred on a metal sculpture of two dancers.

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.

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 do love a hand drawing here and we’ve been looking back through the archives recently to find our favourites.

This is one of Alex’s favourites. This elegant pair of gate lodges we designed for a country estate in Hampshire are, at the same time, both subservient to the main house, but still give the impression of what it will be like. The Georgians used gate lodges to signify the gravitas of their country houses, but still always remembered the fact that they were service buildings. A tricky balance, but one we are delighted to have struck here.

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.

Architects are always thinking about the spaces they are creating within the buildings they design. It is important to always consider the third dimension.

Generosity is not always a two dimensional construct, extra height to a space, increases the volume and makes an ordinary space feel for generous and dramatic. This stair hall in a country house we designed in Wiltshire shows exactly the result of this sort of consideration.

Much of the elements of Georgian architecture are evolved from the Classical principles first seen in the traditions of ancient Greek and Roman architecture.

The evolutions are continual but often reference back to earlier times. The first floor window on this Georgian townhouse includes what is known as a Venetian or Serlian (after Sebastiano Serlio) window. A Venetian window is a three part window with the central part being arched topped and the two symmetrical sidelights being shorter. All three are broken up by pilasters and are topped by an entablature.