At Horsley Townsend Architects we’ve worked on a wide variety of architectural projects in and around Ripon, from house extensions and refurbishments to work involving listed buildings, restaurants, hotels, commercial properties and retail units.
This diverse experience allows us to bring a fresh perspective to every project while recognising that each property, site and client requires an individual approach.
Our wider project portfolio includes work in Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, National Parks, Green Belt, open countryside, urban locations and other sensitive settings. Working across such varied locations has reinforced our belief that successful architecture should respond to its surroundings as well as the needs of the people who will use the building.
Whether you’re considering changes to your home, planning a new property or looking for architectural expertise for a commercial or historic building, we can help you explore the possibilities and guide the project through the appropriate stages.
Residential Architects in Ripon
Our residential architectural work includes extensions, alterations, refurbishments and new-build homes.
Every residential project begins with understanding what you want from the property. You might need additional space, want to make better use of your existing rooms or be considering a more substantial transformation of the building.
Rather than beginning with a predetermined design, we’ll look at the property and discuss how you currently use it, what isn’t working and what you’d like to achieve.
These conversations provide the starting point for developing an architectural response appropriate to both the property and your requirements.
House Extensions and Alterations
An extension can provide valuable additional space, but a successful project should consider more than simply making the property larger.
The relationship between the new and existing spaces is an important part of the design. How you move through the house, how different rooms connect and how the extension relates to the existing architecture can all influence the final result.
Every property is different, so the appropriate architectural response will vary. An alteration to a period property, for example, can present very different opportunities and considerations from extending a more contemporary home.
Our role is to explore these factors with you and develop a solution around the individual property.
Property Refurbishments and Remodelling
Sometimes the best way to improve a home isn’t simply to add more space.
A refurbishment or remodelling project provides an opportunity to reconsider the existing building and how effectively it works for you.
This might involve substantial alterations or more carefully targeted changes to the arrangement and relationship of existing spaces.
By looking at the property as a whole, we can consider how the proposed changes will work alongside the parts of the building that are being retained.
Commercial Architects in Ripon
Our experience extends beyond residential architecture and includes work on restaurants, hotels, commercial buildings and retail units.
Commercial projects bring their own requirements because the building needs to work successfully for the people and organisations using it.
Understanding those requirements is an important part of our design process. We’ll work with you to establish what the building needs to achieve before developing an architectural solution appropriate to the particular property, site and intended use.
Our involvement can extend from initial feasibility and design work through planning, Building Regulations and detailed information to architectural services during construction.
Listed Buildings and Conservation Architecture
Our portfolio includes extensive experience of working with historic and listed buildings.
Projects involving listed properties require a particularly considered approach. The character and significance of the existing building need to be understood before appropriate alterations can be developed.
Our aim is to respond sensitively to the qualities of the existing property while also considering what the client needs from the building in the future.
This doesn’t mean applying the same conservation solution to every historic property. Each building has its own character and circumstances, and the architectural response needs to develop from an understanding of that particular building.
Experience in Sensitive Locations
Our architectural work has taken us into a wide variety of settings, including Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, National Parks, Green Belt, open countryside and urban locations.
The setting of a building can have an important influence on the way a project is approached.
A proposal within open countryside, for example, can present different considerations from alterations to a property in an urban setting. Projects involving listed buildings or designated areas can introduce further factors that need to be considered during design and planning.
Our experience of working in these different environments helps us identify relevant considerations early and develop the architectural design in response to the particular site rather than treating its setting as an afterthought.
Architectural Services in and Around Ripon
The majority of the projects we undertake are in Yorkshire, including work in and around Ripon, Harrogate, Ilkley, Leeds, Wetherby, Skipton and York.
Our portfolio also extends considerably further afield, with projects completed in the south of England, London and Scotland.
Regardless of location, we apply the same principle to our work: understand the client, understand the building or site and then develop an architectural solution appropriate to both.
The Way We Work
We believe in helping clients visualise what they want to achieve and understand what they need from their project.
For this reason, we begin every project with a free, no-obligation consultation.
This initial meeting gives us an opportunity to find out more about your ideas and requirements. If you already have a clear idea of what you want, we can talk it through with you. If you’re less certain about the possibilities, we can begin exploring ideas together.
We’re happy to discuss projects of different types and scales.
After this initial meeting, we’ll send you a written quotation setting out our proposed fees so that you can decide whether you’d like to take the project further.
A Flexible Architectural Service
We understand that not every client needs the same level of architectural involvement.
Our services can therefore be divided into four broad stages and you can appoint us for just one, several or all of them, depending on the requirements of your project.
This flexibility allows you to decide how much architectural support you need rather than committing to every stage from the outset.
Stage One – Design and Planning
The first stage takes the project from the initial ideas through the development of the architectural proposal and, where required, to the submission of a valid planning application.
This is where we begin turning the project brief into a design.
The process involves considering what you want to achieve alongside the characteristics of the existing building or site. As the ideas develop, they can be reviewed and refined before the proposal reaches the appropriate point for planning.
Stage Two – Building Regulations
The second stage can take the project through the preparation and submission of a Building Regulations application.
Planning and Building Regulations are separate parts of a building project. Once the design has progressed beyond the planning stage, additional information is therefore required to develop the proposal in greater technical detail.
Stage Three – Detailed and Tender Information
The third stage involves developing the information required for construction and tendering.
Detailed drawings and documentation can be prepared so that the proposed work can be priced by building contractors.
This gives you a clearer basis on which to obtain and consider quotations before appointing a builder and moving into construction.
Stage Four – Architectural Services During Construction
Our involvement can continue after building work begins.
Remaining involved during construction provides continuity as the architectural design moves from drawings to a completed building and allows us to provide professional input during this stage of the project.
RIBA Chartered Architects
Horsley Townsend is a RIBA Chartered architectural practice.
We combine creative architectural design with the professional and technical experience required to take projects through the different stages of design and construction.
Our aim isn’t simply to produce drawings, but to understand what you’re trying to achieve and provide the level of architectural support appropriate to your individual project.
Talk to Us About Your Project in Ripon
If you’re considering extending or refurbishing your home, planning a new property, undertaking work to a listed building or developing a commercial project in or around Ripon, talk to Horsley Townsend Architects about what you have in mind.
We can begin with a free, no-obligation consultation to discuss the property, your ideas and what you’re hoping to achieve. We’ll then provide a written quotation so you can decide whether you’d like to take the project forward.
