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What we design
An empty plot, a house worth replacing or a home that needs rethinking: each starts with what the site and planning allow, then a design that belongs where it stands.
01
We design bespoke new build homes for private clients and self-build plots, including custom build sites with a design code. Planning comes first: what the site allows, what the local authority expects, and whether the plot sits in the Green Belt or open countryside. On qualifying rural sites, Paragraph 84 (now Policy HO11(1)(e)) allows an isolated home of exceptional design quality, and we have worked that route. Contemporary, traditional or a blend of both: the site usually decides.
02
Sometimes the best plot is under a house you already own. Where the existing property is poorly built or the wrong house for its site, replacing it can make more sense than repairing it. Replacement dwelling policy is tightest in the Green Belt, where the new house is generally expected to be no larger than the old one. There is more room in that than the wording suggests, but only with a design-led case, and we establish what is achievable before you commit.
03
Not every transformation starts with demolition. Many clients own a house with good bones and the wrong plan: a period farmhouse, a mid-century bungalow, a family home that has stopped working. We redesign the whole house, not one room: reorganising the plan, opening it to garden and light, adding significant space and bringing fabric and services up to new-build standard.
Bespoke homes
Site
01
Every house starts with its plot: orientation, views, slope, neighbours. We design around what the site gives and what it takes away, so the house belongs there rather than landing on it.
Light
02
Rooms are arranged for how daylight moves from morning to evening, with volume spent where it matters most. The aim is a house that feels generous at eight in the morning and at eight at night.
Materials
03
A restrained palette selected for how it weathers, not how it photographs. Fewer materials used well will always outlast more materials used for effect.
Restraint
04
The high-end residential architects whose work lasts are the ones who edit. We would rather design a house that still looks right in thirty years than one that looks good next spring.
Firs House is a contemporary conversion of a traditional bungalow in Staffordshire that transforms the original form with modern materials, maximises natural light and panoramic views through strategic orientation and large openings, and seamlessly connects open-plan interior spaces with the landscape for enhanced functionality and refined living.
You own or are buying a plot in Derbyshire, Staffordshire, Cheshire or beyond, and want an architect-designed home on it.
You are planning a replacement dwelling, a substantial extension or a complete transformation of your existing property.
You value a personal approach, with every space shaped around your lifestyle, tastes and long-term ambitions.
You want continuity from a dedicated studio, with support through design, planning and technical detailing, and into construction where required.
Explore other services or book a free consultation and we will point you to the right one.
A structured construction-stage service providing site inspections, progress reports and design coordination to help maintain clarity as the project moves forward.
A detailed CGI service that turns architectural drawings into realistic visualisations, helping you understand, present and refine a design before it is built.
A sensitive architectural service for listed and historic buildings, helping you adapt, extend or restore them while respecting their character and significance.
A focused planning service to assess your site, develop the right proposal and coordinate the drawings, information and submission needed for approval.
A considered architectural service for barns and rural buildings, balancing planning potential, modern living requirements and the character of the existing structure.
A tailored architectural service for bespoke homes, major extensions and residential transformations, shaped around your site, ambitions and way of living.
Our architectural fees are agreed as a fixed fee for each stage of your project, giving you clarity on the scope of work and associated costs before proceeding. Fees reflect the scale, complexity and level of support required. From the outset, we discuss your construction budget and tailor the design brief to your ambitions and investment.
Feasibility advice, measured surveys, concept and developed design, 3D visualisation, planning submissions, technical drawings and specifications, and coordination of the consultants the project needs. Construction-stage support is available where you want it. Each appointment is tailored to the project.
Yes. A new house always requires full planning permission, and a replacement dwelling does too. In the Green Belt and open countryside the policy tests are stricter, and the design has to make a specific case. We establish the likely route and its risks before you commit to design work.
Realistically, design and planning take a matter of months, with a full planning application typically determined in eight to thirteen weeks once submitted. Technical design follows approval, and construction depends on the size of the house. We set out a programme at the feasibility stage.
Yes, and we would rather know the budget at the start. We establish it at the brief stage, design to it, and build cost reviews into the process so the figure is tested as the design develops rather than at tender.
Yes. Our projects range from contemporary houses to traditional ones and to considered blends of the two. We don’t impose a house style; the site, its context and your brief decide it.
Yes. Where a house has good bones, a complete redesign with substantial new space can be the better route, and it is a large part of our work. Where the existing house is the problem, replacement can be more sensible. A feasibility consultation is where we look at both.
Where you appoint us for it. We can assist with contractor selection, respond to design queries and oversee the work on site so that what gets built is what was designed. You can also appoint us for the design and planning stages alone.
