Journal
Notes on residential design, planning and the details that shape a well-considered home.
What Is a Lawful Development Certificate—and Do You Need One?
Some projects can be completed under permitted development rights—but how do you prove the work is lawful? This guide explains when a Lawful Development Certificate may be worthwhile.
Why Planning Applications Get Refused
Five common reasons householder planning applications run into difficulty—and how thoughtful design and preparation can reduce the risk.
Designing a Garden Office on a Sloping Site
How a steep, tapering garden shaped the footprint, levels and material details of this garden office.
Reworking a Floor Plan: One Brief, Three Options
Three ways to approach the same brief—and the different trade-offs each floor plan revealed.
Designing a Bathroom Layout
Good bathroom design begins with the layout—long before the taps, tiles and finishes are chosen.
What Makes A Good Floor Plan?
Flow, light, furniture, proportion and storage—the small decisions that help a home work better.
Can You Extend Without Planning Permission?
Some extensions can proceed without a planning application—but only when the relevant limitations and conditions are met.
Planning Drawings vs Building Regulations Drawings
One gets approval. The other develops the design into the technical information needed for construction.