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.

Continuing our look at the INTBAU charter…

Another point raised within this document is that “traditional buildings and places maintain a balance with nature and society that has developed over many generations”. We feel really passionately that the nature within a place is something to be celebrated and cherished, such as at this Hampshire country house where we retained existing mature trees as part of the landscape design.

We’re delighted to have been shortlisted for the Build It Awards 2023 for this stunning South Downs country house.

Nothing beats a beautiful hand drawn elevation.

CAD has its place in architecture, but sometimes traditional representation techniques are more sympathetic. This watercolour rendered hand drawn elevation shows off a beautiful country house we designed in the Test Valley and it really helped to sell the scheme.

It is very important to us that the buildings we create have character. This character stems from the character of the place where it is, but also the character of the client.

In 2015 a country house we designed in Wiltshire won Best Traditional House in the The Daily Telegraph Homebuilding & Renovating Awards. The design was strongly influenced by the character of the client and it is apt then that in cover article by Jason Orme in Homebuilding and Renovating Magazine about the project was entitled ‘Character Building’.

We're well on the way towards completion of our North Downs country house project in Surrey.

This new home is looking good as it heads towards being finished and the landscape we designed is starting to come together. Looking forward to seeing this one reach practical completion and our clients taking up residence.

The journey from drawing board to completion is often fraught one. So it is always very satisfying when that journey is a successful one.

We've been looking back through our portfolio at this country house we designed in Berkshire. Comparing the watercolour undertaken at the stage we received planning consent, to the completed photos, show that whilst there were some tweaks along the way, the result was pretty close to that envisaged.

It is never easy to deliver projects to this standard, but it is really rewarding when everything comes together and the end result lives up to expectation.

One of the difficult things when designing new homes is preventing it looking brand new when completed. High quality materials can make a building feel more grounded and have an instant character than less carefully selected materials might lack.

This country house in Wiltshire uses reclaimed bricks, natural slate and timber windows. The effect of all these, along with the carefully modelled design, is a building which looks like it has developed over time and instantly has a feeling of belonging.

Every design we produce is tailored to the site it is to be built on. Whilst we often use recognisable forms, the unique layout and detail will be specifically designed to make the most of the opportunities the location gives.

This beautiful country home in the South Downs National Park is designed to take full advantage of its elevated position. The kitchen has been designed with large plate glass windows which allow full enjoyment of the rolling views to the South.

“One of the most impressive examples of the difficult art of traditional new build that has been built in the UK in recent years”.

Not our words, but the kind description of Jason Orme in his article about this award-winning home we built in Wiltshire. The brief was for a modestly scaled house but with high ceilings for the client’s furnishings. The client was delighted with the result and it remains a firm favourite in the office.

Context is key to a building feeling grounded in its location.

Although inspired by its surroundings, this award winning family home in Wiltshire does not borrow directly from its delightful Georgian neighbours. The design is instead the result of of the application of general principles of Georgian architecture. The outcome is a relaxed and pared-back design which is both comfortable as a modern family home should be, but with the elegance that comes with Classical architecture.

We are passionate about proportion. Get it right and the elegance it creates is a given, you accept that things look right. Get it wrong and the fact something is amiss is obvious. The Golden Section (or Ratio) is a proportion system we often apply, using the mathematics of nature as described in the Fibonacci sequence, seen throughout nature and in Classical architecture. We used the Golden Section to get the proportions just so for this house in Wiltshire, and we were pleased when it won Best Traditional House in the Daily Telegraph Homebuilding and Renovating Awards The Telegraph.

Even working on historic buildings, sometimes we get a chance to do something really striking, and we love to seize those opportunities!

This historic barn conversion in Wiltshire had views to the South over an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and we were able to secure consent for this feature dormer window. Not only did it allow views out, but it also allowed the previously uninhabited roofspace to be flooded with light, transforming the space from dingy loft to a light flooded and airy space.

We don’t only design new buildings. We often work on schemes to extend and enhance much loved family homes with new spaces.

This scheme for a garden room helped to improve the connection between the main house on a country estate in the Test Valley and it’s beautiful English Country Garden. Classical proportions and details were meticulously married with glazing styling to harmonise with the existing Edwardian house.

“A bicycle shed is a building; Lincoln Cathedral is a piece of architecture… the term architecture applies only to buildings designed with a view to aesthetic appeal.” Nikolaus Pevsner in the introduction to ‘An Outline of European Architecture’, 1943.

Not every project we get asked to design is grand and large, we often work on smaller projects such as this courtyard building on a country estate in Berkshire.

However, even the humblest buildings we work on still get the same level of care and thoughtfulness of design and attention to detail as the grandest. Careful material choices here of Keymer Tiles handmade clay roof tiles with bonnet hips, oak framing and cladding, and conservation rooflights, coupled with considered design moves including a cupola for ventilation and extra wide carport bays for ease of use elevate this building to something which can hold its own next to a far grander main building.

Not all the conservation projects we work on are listed buildings. Some are on properties like this 1930s thatched country house in North Hampshire.

We are pleased to have recently been granted planning permission for a scheme working on this charming thatched building, taking full advantage of the stunning views from the elevated site.

Along with works to the main house, the scheme also includes a swimming pool with terrace and pool house/outdoor dining room, greenhouse and new entrance sequence.