Diseño de espacios en Leicester, Leicestershire, UK

“The SKM Design team were meticulous, they stayed in constant contact during the entire project, we were always informed on specifics while the project was underway, they met the project time scale. SKM architects has a reliable and highly qualified team, who were able to explain everything through every stage of the project. At no time did we feel dissatisfied or in-the-dark. The entire project from the initial discussion of the project to the very end was smooth.”

“Very happy with the work and great service. We have many holiday parks up and down the UK and anything to do with marketing, architectural work, Lloyd Harden is first on the list to call.”

“Great Architect, helped design a fantastic house, whilst listening to the Clients needs and aspirations.”

“JLK Architectural Design was recommended by friends who spoke very highly of Julia and her team. We invited Julia to quote for us to design a side extension and obtain all the planning permissions etc. Upon meeting her, my wife and I both felt that she was the right architect for our project. Very friendly, professional and full of great ideas. She was patient with us as we deliberated over various aspects of the design and gave invaluable advice and support in arriving at our final plan. We have no hesitation in recommending Julia and feel she went above and beyond our expectations. Thanks again.”

“Having worked with Joe to develop the branding and website for ‘Place for Humans’, I gathered an in-depth understanding of how Joe works and his ethos behind his practice. One of the first things that is clear when you meet Joe is his focus on people. He makes it his mission to really understand his clients needs, so he can find real solutions to their underlying problems. He has drive, great vision and a genuine want to help people. I would highly recommend Joe & Place for Humans to help find unique answers that are suited to real lives.”

“They did a lovely job remodelling the ground floor of my late-Victorian large semi and did a superb job - excellent use of space, keeping original features and giving me exactly what I wanted - excellent!”

“We hired John Morris Architects when we bought a run down 1960s house at the end of 2014. We had some idea of what we wanted to create but weren't quite sure of how to make the most of the property/plot. John has simply been amazing. He understood the brief we gave him exactly and his design concept is exceptional. He listened to our objectives and has designed us our dream home ticking every box and more. He is extremely approachable and available to answer endless queries from us. Our property is in a conservation area but despite this John has worked tirelessly to ensure that the designs meet all criteria required so as not to delay the planning decision, which we received without problems and on schedule. We can't wait to now start our build, with Johns help and advice we know we are going to have a wonderful family home.”

“The architects were both very enthusiastic and professional in their work and the attention to detail was fantastic. Our builder commented that the plans were the most detailed he had seen on a residential build which resulted in the build running smoothly and keeping within budget and time-scale. Every space was well thought out to meet our requirements and the end result and quality has far exceeded our expectations. We have an amazing living space which we would not have achieved without the input of an experienced architect. We would highly recommend them.”

“We bought Willow Springs cottage in the summer of 2014 and have spent eighteen months making much-needed repairs to it, inside and out. We got in touch with Stephanie as we'd heard about her friendly and calm approach - calm was something we needed faced with a house desperately in need of some TLC! Built in the mid-1600s, the cottage underwent a major renovation in the late 1800s, when the timber-framed half of the cottage was rebuilt. An early photograph shows that this Victorian facsimile replaced a much older (we assume 17th Century) timber-framed structure, made up of twisted timber frame, a concoction of various infills and possibly a thatched roof. The cottage was then extended in the 1960s, when the scullery in the Victorian part was doubled in size to form a small kitchen, and the large inglenook fireplace in the living room was sadly removed to create the entrance to a single-storey extension. Stephanie was involved from the offset, advising on many aspects of the project, from preparing us for discussions with the conservation officer through to offering creative input on changes to the use of the space. Our main focus was on removing the inappropriate materials that had been used on the cottage over the previous decades. The main offender was the cement mix and gypsum plaster on around half of the internal walls. Fortunately, a good amount of the original lime plaster remained intact (or repairable) in the rest of the house, mostly on the upper floors. Similarly, on top of the earth floors on the ground floor, several layers of impermeable materials had been laid (such as roofing felt, concrete, plastic sheeting and carpeting) in an attempt to dry out and warm the house. Once removed, the house began to dry out beautifully, although the lower plasterwork was beyond repair where damp had been forced up the walls. Stephanie was a great help advising us before we made decisions about what we could save and what we would need to replace. For example, at one point (before we were fully read up on the best way to deal with heritage houses: "repair not replace!"), we had been advised to remove a cracked lime ash floor on the first floor. Thankfully Stephanie pointed out that aside from any structural problems this removal might cause, it would be a loss historically, so we went on to repair it, and we're so pleased we took her advice. She created 3D renderings to help us envision how we could make the layout better suit our needs and add a nice flow and cosiness. She placed an emphasis on this, encouraging us to think in a very ‘human’ way about the way we wanted to live, work and play in our home. Few structural changes were needed. We decided to demolish two items – the small extension to the living room and the two-storey bay windows, both structures added in the 1960s and in a poor state of repair; both changes prompting the conservation officer to comment “you’re the only people I’ve met who actually want to make their house smaller!” We also decided to move the bathroom from the ground floor to the room directly above, and to brick up a doorway which led from a small hallway/WC next to the bathroom into the Victorian dining room, making space for a downstairs WC. Following this stage of the project, the uPVC windows were replaced with timber double-glazed units and the cottage was rewired and re-plumbed. In the living room and kitchen, limecrete floors were laid over foamed glass insulation and underfloor heating, with reclaimed York stone flags to finish. A lime/hemp basecoat was applied thickly to the bare walls with a lime putty topcoat. In the dining room, we revealed a Victorian arched brick fireplace, which we went on to clean up and repoint. The cottage was painted throughout with clay paint. Work continues - I feel it may for a while yet as this little old house presents new challenges from time to time– but it is a lovely to place to live. Thank you to Stephanie for her calm and thoughtful guidance, expertise and know-how throughout the process.”

“Ben delivered an exceptional kitchen and living extension for us and we would highly recommend him. His design whilst unique and contemporary also took into account our existing house style and he managed to marry the two together nicely. His style was excellent as he pushed the boundaries with the design but also took into account all of our needs and the practicalities required in a family home. We also asked Ben to project manage the building for us and this took the stress out of the job and made sure that we got an exceptional end result. He has a warm and engaging style and we would definitely work with him again.”