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TESTIMONIALS
WHAT OUR CLIENTS
SAY ABOUT US
We initially stumbled over Dyer Grimes while searching the Internet
looking for architects to look after the conversion of four flats into one. After interviewing several architects it became immediately clear that we wanted to appoint Dyer Grimes.
So what made the difference? Besides from the fact that we love their work, John Dyer Grimes, Michael Gwynn (Associate Architect), Leila Latchin (Interior Designer) and John Rookyard (Project Manager) showed their ability to listen carefully to what we wanted and come back with great solutions to how to achieve it and make it even better. John Dyer Grimes rightfully prides himself as someone who really understands what he's doing. The team was always very responsive and available to discuss issues and changes that were inevitable for any project of this nature. An Architect is only as good as the builder who delivers the goods. Kevin Gale, from Gallowers Builders, was instrumental in delivering the project to the highest standard. We all had really good fun as well.
Would we work with the team again - absolutely!
Andrew Schwager & Frederike Von Cranch, South Kensington, London
Having lived in a listed manor house for decades, the decision to buy and knock down an existing bungalow and build an ultra-modern new home was not an easy one. John worked with us through the purchase process and thanks to his original feasibility study, we had the vision and the courage to embark on our dream house.
John proved to have great conceptual ability with our brief and demonstrated meticulous attention to detail. Throughout the project John and his team worked closely with us, and our builders, meeting regularly to ensure that our home evolved at each stage and any necessary adaptations progressed into satisfying solutions without compromising our vision. John’s expertise, flexibility and empathy led us to the beautiful home we have today – our collaboration was invaluable and we would highly recommend Dyer Grimes Architects to anyone who is after a home that is unique to them as individuals.
Tony and Nicky, White Lodge, Oxted
I commissioned Dyer Grimes Architecture to design a new home on the site of my mother’s bungalow in Wimbledon Village and to help us secure planning permission in order to build our new home. I had an initial meeting with John Dyer-Grimes and Head of Creative Design, Liam Foley where we discussed ideas on a basic level, coming to the agreement that, because of the odd shape of the site – long and thin – a modern design would make best use of the available space. As a novelist and mother of three young children, I have very little time and after the initial brief I left the team at Dyer Grimes, led by Liam Foley as Head of Creative Design, to design the building with no further input from myself. The design that they came back with was fantastic: a stunning, light modern white rendered house that made the best use of the limited site space available. My mother and I were happy to agree to proceed to planning with the initial design that they presented to us, with no alterations.
Because the site is in a conservation area, we were concerned that it might prove difficult to get the project through planning. However Dyer Grimes worked very closely with our Planning Officer at every stage of the process, so that when it came to the decision meeting, she was firmly on our side, and despite some objections from surrounding residents who didn’t like the modern design of the building, planning was awarded. I cannot speak highly enough of the team at Dyer Grimes, and in particular John and Liam. They are both highly professional, a pleasure to work with and delivered a result – both in terms of building design and ease of planning approval – far in excess of our expectations.Mrs. K. T. Medina, Wimbledon
I wanted to get planning permission to extend my mother’s existing old house at some date in the future, as it is a relatively small house located on a beautiful plot of land on the banks of the River Thames in Twickenham. I needed an architecture firm that could deal with the entire process as I do not live in London ; I found John Dyer Grimes architecture on the internet and had an excellent first meeting with John who I found very thoughtful and helpful with ideas and designs. John convinced me that rather than simply extending the existing house it would be far better to demolish the dwelling and build a more spacious but better designed modern property on site. Liam Foley and his team came up with a number of excellent designs to maximise space, light, and modern efficiencies on the site which enabled us to increase the living space by 50% and actually reduce both the height of the building and the built up footprint on the site. Liam also helped me deal with the neighbours’ concerns and was very understanding of my mother's sensitivity over the whole project. I was pleased with the way Liam dealt with the planning permission process which was quite lengthy and complex, and involved a great number of external consultants who were required to convince the Richmond planning authorities of the benefits of the project. Designing a beautiful house is only a small part of the project, and it is vital to have an experienced team such as Dyer Grimes Architecture, to take you through the planning process. Of course like all such projects, it took longer and was more costly than I envisaged, but I am very pleased with the end result which I think will make a unique family home for someone who wants to live in a large garden right on the banks of the River Thames.
Bill Tatham, Richmond
After falling in love with a rather ramshackle Victorian house we were then left with the daunting task of refurbishing it to transform it into our family home. Having never done anything like this before the job turned out to be much bigger than we had anticipated and after considerable delays and problems we lost confidence in the project and ourselves. Our first meeting with John restored our confidence and got us excited about the house again and what could be done. John and the whole team at Dyer Grimes Architecture are very personable and professional. They listened to us and took on board what we wanted to achieve. Immediately they presented us with ideas and suggestions about how we could fulfil our goals, explaining that by thinking about the house as a whole would be better than just limiting our alterations to one area as we had previously envisaged. It's a testament to the design that when you look at the house everything works perfectly as a family home while retaining the charm of the original house. It's been brilliantly modernised and is exactly what we wanted. Working with the team at Dyer Grimes Architecture has been great fun and we couldn't be happier with our beautifully finished home.
Dominic & Katherine Luxton, Walton on Thames, Surrey
When we bought our house in 2013 we realised after a previous renovation that we would require the use of an architect. After talking to a substantial list of firms we fortunately came across Dyer-Grimes Architecture, who instantly gave us confidence that they had the skill and experience to unlock an awkward 1930s layout and turn it into our dream family home. John straight from our first conversation understood exactly what we wanted and how we could achieve it. Both John and Olly made the design process an enjoyable and stimulating one, ending with a design fully thought out for aesthetic and practical points. Since starting our project we have recommended Dyer-Grimes Architecture to two other people who've also been as happy with the outcome as we have been. We wouldn't hesitate to recommend Dyer-Grimes Architecture and wouldn't think twice using them if doing another project.
Tom & Petra Guest, Richmond
In our experience, John has an approach that I believe people will find very rare and refreshing these days. He was extremely accommodating and friendly throughout the entire process. Not only is he extremely knowledgeable about both the architectural and contractual aspects of the business, but he also seems to have a great natural sense for what the client is looking to do. Whether it’s layout design or material selection, he’s got an opinion, and has the right approach in sharing it. He was a pleasure to work with throughout. I would strongly recommend him and Dyer Grimes Architecture to anyone looking for architectural design or construction management.
Sebastian Duquette, Putney
The reason we decided to move forward with John was his ability to listen and provide insight. He took the time to ask questions, challenged us to really think about what we wanted and what our overall goal was. Once that occurred, John was able to provide a whole host of ways of meeting our objectives, while keeping an eye on the budget and time line. We would be very happy to speak with others and explain in greater detail our very positive experience with Dyer Grimes Architects.
Mike and Jenny Turner, Putney
We got planning approval from Richmond Council in six weeks, much quicker than expected. John is a very talented and capable architect and we were very pleased with his designs. As you go through the whole process, you will have new ideas and undoubtedly you will need some changes to the drawings. Any revisions were dealt immediately and efficiently. With all the restrictions and limitations of Richmond Council, Dyer Grimes Architecture not only gave us a great design but they also had no problems in getting it approved. I would recommend John and his team with no reservations.
Charlotte Myers, Sheen
CAITHNESS ROAD – REDEVELOP PERIOD HOUSE WITH SUB-BASEMENT STUDIO
We purchased a Victorian terraced house in Brook Green. As soon as we saw the finished plans we fell in love with the design and decided to build it subject to a few minor changes that the planners forced upon us. Working with John’s team was great. He listened to our needs and was able to tweak the existing design to suit our requirements – which changed as the build was underway. We would certainly recommend Dyer Grimes Architects.
Drew Widowfield, Caithness Road
FIFE ROAD – HERITAGE HOUSE WITH MODERN FLAIR
Finding a good architect is never easy. John Dyer Grimes and his team were presented with a difficult task which they approached with sympathetic understanding and a freshness of ideas which were exciting and innovative. Every detail was well thought out and discussed beforehand and the final design surpassed our expectations. John possesses an ability to combine imaginative ideas with a sound knowledge of materials which he is then capable of communicating to his clients. The use of 3-D graphics allowed us to envisage the final outcome and any alterations were easily accommodated during the planning process. We were more than pleased with the results and would have no hesitation in recommending Dyer Grimes Architects to anyone who believes in quality.
Mrs Polly O’Rooke, Fife Road, Richmond
ST. MARY’S CHURCH STREET – FROM PERIOD RECTORY TO CONTEMPORARY FAMILY HOME
The reason we decided to move forward with John was his ability to listen and provide insight. He took the time to ask questions and challenged us to really think about what we wanted. The team at Dyer Grimes was able to provide a whole host of ways of meeting our objectives, while keeping an eye on the budget and time line. We would be very happy to speak with others and explain in greater detail our very positive experience with Dyer Grimes Architects.
Robert Harrison, Rotherhithe
John, with the move, being so far away and not being in London for the completion of the house, we haven’t had a chance to personally thank you for the wonderful job. We were particularly impressed with your ability to make us feel part of the team even though we were thousands of miles away. We are so happy with our beautiful house and having tenants in so quickly is testament to how lovely the finished product is.
Kylie and Neil McClaren, Sydney, Australia
Faced with an uphill planning battle to turn our near derelict house in a conservation area in Kingston upon Thames into a vibrant family home, we met with several architects. John Dyer Grimes stood head and shoulders above the rest and was the obvious choice given his reputation for winning difficult planning approvals. He worked closely with us to come up with a daring and innovative scheme and turned around the plans and surveys required very quickly and to exceptional quality. His attention to detail and professional, calm manner made him a pleasure to work with, and he provided excellent advice and support during the entire planning process. John was responsible for overturning near impossible planning odds to get our plan approved, without any changes to the original design, or additional conditions imposed – all in less than four months from the date we completed on the purchase.
We are truly delighted with the end result and have no hesitation in recommending John and his team at Dyer Grimes Architects.
Mrs Cheryl Chang, Kingston upon Thames