It is not unusual that a client will approach us with a site which already has a building on it, sometimes we can work with the existing buildings, sometimes there are too many issues with the existing building to make this feasible and sometimes it is just in the wrong place. By examining all the options we can deliver a design which fully exploits the opportunities a site presents to provide the optimal solution.

These before and after photos show an example of this where a distinctly poor example of a 1960s/70s house was replaced by this Georgian inspired design in the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The more historic wing at the front was retained and carefully repaired to act as an annexe.

Some things seem simple at first glance. To get the effect we were striving for with the brickwork on this property in Wiltshire, we had to select the bond, chose the brick (handmade by Michelmersh Brick Holdings PLC), specify the mix of lights and darks, select the aggregate mix to give the desired colour and texture for the lime mortar, specify the joint thickness (5mm rather than 10mm), and then oversee the work on site with co-operation from the excellent brickwork sub-contractor and main contractors. The outcome looks effortless, making the great effort worthwhile. Suffice to say everyone's hard work was rewarded by the project being shortlisted for The Brick Awards run by the Brick Development Association (BDA).