ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN SERVICES · WORTHING & WEST SUSSEX
Architectural design for your home
Thoughtful ideas. Practical detail.
A home that works better for you.
Whether you’re extending, converting your loft or rethinking the way your existing home works, Downland Studio helps develop your ideas into a clear, considered design.
From understanding your home and exploring the possibilities through Planning and Building Regulations, we can help you take the next step with the right information.
DISCUSS YOUR PROJECT →THOUGHTFUL · PRACTICAL · COLLABORATIVE
Start with how you want to live.
A larger kitchen and family space. Room for another bedroom. A better connection to the garden. Or simply a layout that makes everyday life easier.
Every project starts with understanding what you want to achieve, how your home currently works and where the opportunities lie. We explore space, light, movement and the relationship between the existing home and the proposed changes.
Practical considerations inform the design as it develops. Structure, construction, planning constraints and Building Regulations can all influence a proposal; considering them early helps you make informed decisions.
YOUR HOME · YOUR PROJECT
What are you thinking about?
HOUSE EXTENSIONS
Room to grow.
From modest rear and side additions to more substantial changes, we consider how new space can improve the whole home — including the rooms you already have.
LOFT CONVERSIONS
Make more of the space above.
A loft conversion begins with your existing roof, headroom and a sensible route for the stairs. We develop the layout around usable rooms and how they connect with the rest of your home.
INTERNAL ALTERATIONS
A better way to use your home.
Reworking a layout can change how a home feels without adding more floor area. We can help explore room arrangements, openings, circulation and the technical implications of the proposed changes.
DESIGN & PLANNING
Give your ideas a clear direction.
From an early sketch to a developed proposal, we can help establish the appropriate planning route and prepare the architectural information for an application where required.
FROM FIRST IDEAS TO READY TO BUILD
One clear process.
You don’t need to understand every stage before getting started. The scope is agreed around your project, with clear decisions and the right information at each step.
UNDERSTAND
Accurate measured surveys, captured digitally.
We begin with your ideas, priorities and a detailed digital measured survey of your home. Specialist digital measuring technology captures the existing layout, wall thicknesses, openings and key dimensions. We check and supplement important measurements and building information using precision laser measurement where required.
We then interpret the survey information to produce the existing Revit model used throughout design and technical development. A connected digital workflow helps us move efficiently from the first site visit into design, reducing unnecessary repeat visits while retaining the checks your property needs.
DESIGN
Explore the possibilities.
We consider layouts, scale, light and how the proposed changes work with your home. Your feedback helps shape the design as options are discussed and refined.
PLANNING
Establish the appropriate route.
This may involve a householder Planning Application, Permitted Development or a Lawful Development Certificate. Where included in the agreed scope, we prepare the architectural information and manage the submission through to a decision.
TECHNICAL DESIGN
Develop the construction detail.
The agreed design is developed into a Building Regulations and technical drawing package, with separately appointed consultants’ information coordinated as appropriate.
READY TO BUILD
Move forward with clear information.
The completed package gives your contractor more detail about the proposed construction. The contractor remains responsible for carrying out the works correctly, with Building Control undertaking relevant inspections. Before work starts, you can also appoint Downland Studio for optional Contract Administration, keeping payments, changes and contractual completion properly documented. Project Support remains available for lighter, flexible help.
PLANNING → TECHNICAL DESIGN
Two stages. Different questions.
PLANNING
What can you build?
Planning considers the proposed development’s layout, scale, appearance and impact on its surroundings. The route depends on your property and the work proposed.
Downland Studio can help develop the proposal and prepare the architectural drawings for the appropriate application. Decisions rest with the relevant authority.
PLANNING PERMISSION →BUILDING REGULATIONS
How will it be built?
Technical design develops how the building comes together, considering construction and relevant requirements for structure, fire safety, insulation, ventilation and drainage.
Downland Studio can develop the agreed design into a coordinated package for Building Control review and construction, within the agreed scope.
BUILDING REGULATIONS →A PERSONAL STUDIO
Direct contact. Considered design.
Downland Studio is an independent architectural design practice based in Worthing, working with homeowners across West Sussex. You have a clear point of contact as your project develops, with continuity from the first conversation through the agreed design and technical stages.
Some projects need a structural engineer or other specialist input. These specialists are normally separately appointed by you. Downland Studio can coordinate their information with the architectural package, while each specialist remains responsible for their own professional work.
Your proposal sets out the services being provided, so the design work, consultant appointments and any further support are clear from the beginning.
CLEAR FROM THE BEGINNING
Know what you’re likely to spend.
Published starting fees give you a useful first indication. Every project receives a tailored itemised proposal confirming the agreed scope and fee.
The agreed proposal also identifies further services and third-party costs where relevant, such as application charges and separately appointed consultants.
CALCULATE YOUR FEE →VIEW THE FULL FEE GUIDE →YOUR PROJECT · CLEARLY MANAGED
Everything in one place.
Every Downland Studio project has its own dedicated Project Space, bringing the important information together as your project progresses.
Follow your project stages, access current drawings and documents, and keep track of fees, invoices, updates and next steps. It gives you a clear place to return to when you need to see where things stand.
Following your measured survey, a PDF copy of your measured floor plan is added to your Client Portal: a useful digital record of your existing property, alongside the design drawings as they develop.
EXPLORE AN EXAMPLE PROJECT →A LITTLE MORE CLARITY
Architectural design questions.
Do I need to know exactly what I want before getting in touch?
No. You can start with the problems you want to solve, the spaces you need or a few ideas about how you’d like your home to feel. We can discuss the possibilities and help identify a sensible next step.
Do I need Planning Permission for an extension?
Not always. Some extensions can fall within Permitted Development rights, depending on the property, proposal and any restrictions. The appropriate route is reviewed for your project before the relevant application work is agreed.
Can Downland Studio help with both Planning and Building Regulations?
Yes. The service can take your project through design and planning into Building Regulations and technical design. Your itemised proposal confirms which stages and submission support are included. Approvals remain decisions for the relevant authorities.
Can you work with my builder or structural engineer?
Yes. We can discuss practical design matters with your builder and coordinate separately appointed consultants’ information with the architectural drawings where included in the agreed scope. The builder and each consultant retain responsibility for their own work.
Can you develop a design prepared by someone else?
We can discuss what is needed to take an existing design forward. We first review the available drawings, approvals, information and permission to use the original design before confirming the scope.
How much do architectural drawings cost?
The fee depends on your property, the scale of the work and the services required. The published fees and calculator provide an initial indication; a tailored itemised proposal confirms the agreed scope and fee before work begins.
HAVE A PROJECT IN MIND?
Start with a conversation.
Whether you already have a clear idea or are still working out what’s possible, tell us a little about your home and what you’d like to achieve.
We’ll help you understand the sensible next step.
DISCUSS YOUR PROJECT →