Architect’s Advice

Recent government relaxations on change of use applications has seen a spike in the number of office to residential conversions, especially in London where housing demand outstrips demand for commercial space. It’s good news for home-seekers and property developers but local authorities are concerned about having to relinquish their planning control as well as the…

In my last Inspiring Architects feature, I looked at Frank Lloyd Wright, who – in the then unproven field of American architecture – established new styles and forms inspired by the landscape and its people to lay the foundations for a new architectural tradition. This time, I want to talk about Le Corbusier, who had…

The perfect property for renovation is a wreck. The more the paint and plaster has been stripped away from a house, the more you get to see its bones. If the structure’s sturdy and the price is right, with a bit of work and imagination you can build a unique, contemporary home for far less…

No building exists in isolation. No matter how unique and tailored to our clients a home may be, it draws upon the rich heritage of architecture and contributes its own character to the ongoing art. Acknowledging where a building sits in time, space and the field itself is essential to great architecture. This is as…

If you look across the London skyline, everywhere’s a building site. Over the last 3-4 years, high end development has taken off at a breakneck pace and build costs have been brought along for the ride. You may wonder why skyscrapers and office blocks are driving up prices for domestic builds. Though they’re different markets,…

Renowned global consultancy company Arcadis just released their 2014 International Construction Costs Report, where they take a look at the current state of construction markets around the world and the trends that will steer their course in 2015. The report uses the average cost of UK construction as a baseline to compare markets from around…

The current pace of house building is insufficient, with both social and private sectors falling far short of demand. Of the many issues bubbling to the surface ahead of this year’s General Election, the housing shortage and its effects may be the largest elephant in the room for both parties. While Parliament scratches their many…

A self build opens up potential home owners to a wealth of options, from price and location to layout and style. They’ve become increasingly attractive in the UK and – as a habitual self builder myself – I’m no stranger to the powerful desire to build a home that is entirely suited to one’s own…

Last year, we had many clients in Richmond concerned about Affordable Housing Contributions, a hefty fee that could add tens to hundreds of thousands of pounds to self builds. In December 2014 The Government announced plans to scrap Affordable Housing Contributions from small scale developments, as part of wider revisions to Section 106 of the…

To commemorate 50 years since the opening of their building, the Royal College of Physicians recently held a memorial lecture and dinner in honour of its architect, the often misunderstood genius Sir Denys Lasdun. The event was part of the “Anatomy of a Building” exhibition and it was an inspiring night of good food and…