the journal _

notes from the studio on planning, costs, briefs and the houses we work on.

extensions and renovations

A family playroom in a bright bay-windowed extension, with a table tennis table, toys and a child-height table looking out to the garden

when does it make sense to hire an architect for home renovations?

9 september 2026 · when a renovation needs an architect, when a good builder is enough, and four questions that tell you which.

read it _ Aerial view of Pembroke House, an extended Victorian home in Roundhay, Leeds, showing the garden pavilion glass roof and the new outbuilding

a garden pavilion in roundhay, and the orangery beside it

8 july 2026 · a glazed pavilion to the garden, a quiet orangery to the street, and a single-pane glass roof lifted in by crane.

read it _ A cutaway drawing of a single-storey extension showing underfloor heating coils in the slab, a continuous insulation line through walls and roof, an MVHR unit in the ceiling void and an air source heat pump outside

future-proofing your leeds home: eco-friendly luxury in modern extensions

29 april 2026 · mvhr, heat pumps and a high-performance envelope: sustainability, done properly, is what luxury feels like now.

read it _ Andrew and Jack in hard hats and hi-vis on a scaffolded site, looking up at the camera beneath the scaffold deck

what it's really like to work with an architect

25 march 2026 · the questions before the drawings, the sketches you will argue with, the moment it clicks, and who stays on your side until handover.

read it _ A contemporary glazed kitchen-garden extension with a slim dark-framed sliding wall, added to a Yorkshire stone house, opening onto a stone terrace and planted borders at dusk

maximising light and space: designing the ultimate kitchen-garden extension

18 february 2026 · floating corners, flush thresholds, solar-control glass, northern light, and what to do with a sloping yorkshire garden.

read it _ A tree-lined street of red brick Victorian terraced houses with bay windows, a street lamp and a red telephone box

how to brief your architect

15 september 2025 · the better the brief, the better the building. what to write down, what to leave open, and why "i don't know yet" is fine.

read it _

planning

A brick and timber-clad two-storey house with a steep slate roof and full-height glazing, set against open fields and a hedgerow, with a smaller outbuilding to one side

extending a home in open countryside: understanding policy rd10 in north lincolnshire

3 june 2026 · in north lincolnshire it is a 20% volume cap, and earlier extensions count against it. why that is exactly what architects are for.

read it _ A painted timber garden room extension with slender glazing bars and a stone plinth, added to the rear of a Yorkshire stone house in Leeds

extending a premium home in leeds: navigating planning permission vs. permitted development

12 november 2025 · alwoodley, roundhay, horsforth, ilkley: what the extra planning controls mean, what pd can achieve, and when full planning is smarter.

read it _ The rear of a 1930s semi-detached house with a flat-roof single-storey extension and wide bifold doors open onto the garden, beside a neighbouring gabled extension

planning submission vs. permitted development

1 october 2025 · does your project need full planning permission, or does it fall under permitted development? how to tell, and why it matters.

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costs and fees

A single-storey brick extension with tall sliding doors opening onto a stone terrace and lawn, seen in low afternoon sun

what does an architect actually cost?

28 august 2026 · on a domestic project our fee is 5.5% to 7% of construction cost. what that is a percentage of, and what sits outside it.

read it _ An open-plan living and dining space in a high-end West Yorkshire extension, with sliding glazing onto the garden, herringbone oak flooring and a grand piano beyond

how much does a high-end architectural extension cost in west yorkshire?

14 january 2026 · the honest answer is not a per-square-metre figure. where the money goes on an architectural extension, and what it buys.

read it _

studio news

The we are _ team on the tee at Hanging Heaton Golf Club, four players with drivers, at Morley Cricket Club’s charity golf day

teeing off for morley cricket club

25 august 2026 · a charity golf day at hanging heaton with the club we sponsor, and a birdie on the 18th from 130 yards with a putter.

read it _ Andrew and Jack leaning on the we are _ architecture sponsor board at the edge of Morley Cricket Club’s ground

why morley cricket club is where our community investment starts

5 june 2026 · sign boards would have been easier. why we backed a grassroots cricket club instead, and what we are actually paying for.

read it _ A white celebration cake with a gold number five candle, beside a we are _ card on architectural drawings in the studio

we are five

1 september 2025 · five years in. what we have learned, who we have met, what we got wrong, and what comes next.

read it _