Our Blog
All barns are equal but some barns are more equal than others*
A traditional stone barn All barns are equal, but some barns are more equal than others. We have been working on many different barn conversions since the permitted development changes in 2014. We have discovered that although permitted development applies to all...
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Space-saving and peacemaking!
You might know a bit about what an architect does, but what many people don’t know is that architects solve relationship disputes! The situation is all too familiar: People are fed up with too little space, they are fed up with a dark room, they are fed up with...
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Fewer excuses to refuse modern barns for conversion into dwellings
There are now fewer excuses to refuse modern barns for conversion into dwellings. We are pleased to report that there have been some much needed updates to government guidance. Specifically on the interpretation of permitted development rights for barn conversions...
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Barn conversions – Greater flexibility for the number and sizing of dwellings
Great news for housing provision in the countryside! More options have now been given under Class C for barn conversions to dwellings. The new changes offer greater flexibility for the number and sizing of dwellings allowed. On 12th March 2018, the housing minister...
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Marmalade Festival 2018: Alternative Housing Solutions for Oxford
This week we were at Marmalade engaging in all things housing, as the Festival explored this year’s theme on ‘place-based approaches to social change’. Marmalade is a more informal, open-access, fringe event to the Skoll World Forum on Social Entrepreneurship. Both...
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Should we Move or Extend?
To Move, Extend, Build, or Fix-up? Sometimes, things just get a bit cramped at home. Mum, dad, two kids, one on the way, and a dog. Not to mention Barbie, Ken and all their mates. We have all been there, more people, animals and toys and less space to move around....
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Should we buy a barn to convert into a dwelling?
Here is a real story that might help you decide if you should buy a barn to convert.... Jake and Amy* had been dreaming of building their own home for a long time. One day, while walking their favourite route through a nearby village, they saw a for sale sign on a...
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Pastiche Free Zone
Contemporary Vernacular Architecture should never be about ‘Pastiche’, here’s why… Above: Broadland Housing by Mole Architects What is Pastiche? There is much stigma around the term, but what exactly does ‘Pastiche’ mean? To put it simply, pastiche in Architecture...
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Co-housing series 3: Working Together
Co-housing doesn't have to mean living in each other's pockets - it's about the spirit of co-operation This is the third part of the Co-housing blog series, based on Clare's book. Read Part 1 here and Part 2 here. A Whole More than the Sum of its Parts 1-6 Copper...
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