Journal

Journal

Notes on building, planning and design. Practical guidance from an RIBA-chartered practice on residential architecture, extensions and refurbishments across Wimbledon and South West London.

How do you add a basement pool without losing connection to the house?

26 October 2026

How do you add a basement pool without losing connection to the house?

A basement pool should not feel buried. The Basement Leisure Facility near Wimbledon Common prompts practical questions about daylight, route, separated uses and…

Major refurbishment in Horsell: blockwork, steels and the new layout take shape

20 October 2026

Major refurbishment in Horsell: blockwork, steels and the new layout take shape

A major refurbishment can look raw long before it starts to look finished. At the Family Home in Horsell, the latest site photographs show the project at that useful in-between…

Planning Permission and Building Control Explained

17 October 2026

Planning Permission and Building Control Explained

You may be looking at the rear garden of a Wimbledon house, deciding whether the kitchen extension should open directly onto a new terrace. The sketches feel settled, and you're…

Architect for Residential Homes: A South West London Guide

16 October 2026

Architect for Residential Homes: A South West London Guide

For a £1m–£3m refurbishment or new build, an architect for residential work should be appointed to test feasibility, shape the planning strategy, coordinate technical design and…

Choosing finishes for your renovation: what to settle before builders price

15 October 2026

Choosing finishes for your renovation: what to settle before builders price

A floor plan can show where the kitchen goes without saying which worktop, cupboard fronts or handles you want. A bathroom layout can make sense while the fittings remain…

How to Build a Home Cinema Room That Wows

15 October 2026

How to Build a Home Cinema Room That Wows

You've chosen the film, lowered the lights and settled into the sofa, only to hear the amplifier fan, feel the room becoming stuffy and notice footsteps from the bedroom above.…

How Long Does Listed Building Consent Take in the UK

14 October 2026

How Long Does Listed Building Consent Take in the UK

The statutory target for listed building consent is 8 weeks from validation, but only 77% of decisions were made on time in 2023/24, and complex or Grade II* schemes commonly run…

Bespoke Staircase Cost in the UK: A Complete Guide

13 October 2026

Bespoke Staircase Cost in the UK: A Complete Guide

A stair flight can be quoted from roughly £1,800 to well over £30,000 in isolation, but the total project budget can easily double once structural work, finishing and professional…

How to review your architect's first sketch designs in Wimbledon

12 October 2026

How to review your architect's first sketch designs in Wimbledon

The first drawings of your home can be exciting. A room that existed only in conversation suddenly has a shape, and a new connection to the garden begins to feel possible. But a…

Bespoke Stair Gates for Luxury Homes and Listed Buildings

12 October 2026

Bespoke Stair Gates for Luxury Homes and Listed Buildings

You've finished the staircase. The oak has been chosen, the handrail feels right, the balustrade has been carefully detailed, and the last decorator's brush has left the hallway…

How to Design Your Own Home: A SW London Guide

11 October 2026

How to Design Your Own Home: A SW London Guide

You have already started designing your own home in your head.

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