Our Recent Projects
We utilise all these skills to produce carefully considered innovative designs, which have clarity and are easy to understand for our clients and for the planners as well as contractors.
We offer a free initial design consultation, where we will work with you to find out your requirements, must haves and your would love to haves and we use these ideas to produce an initial design brief, which we then build upon as we take the project forward into concept design. We have a good relationship with the local planning departments and work closely with the planners throughout the planning process. We then take the approved design forward and develop a detailed set of technical drawings enabling estimates to be generated and the construction phase to begin. We can offer an onsite service where we make regular visits to the site, working with the main contractor to ensure the design is constructed to the highest degree of detail – resolving issues that arise to keep things moving smoothly. We offer our bespoke service throughout the South Lakes, surrounding counties and across the UK, so please contact us if you have an upcoming project. Below are a few examples of some of our recent projects. Most of these projects are now under construction and you can follow their progress through our weekly Instagram and Facebook posts.
Fairfield Lodge consisted of a traditional coach house, which had been extended over the years by various owners creating a difficult and confusing layout, which failed to maximise on the idyllic setting. The new design strips away all the additions and replaces them with a new extension, which maximises the views out towards Hampsfell and the beautiful Priory Church. The original coach house element remains and is fully restored with original stonework revealed. A new landscaped terrace connects all the internal spaces and allows the house to fully engage with the picturesque landscape.
Connection to the garden both visually and physically is so important. This Nordic copper clad sunroom had to deliver a lot of functions in a small and challenging space. The glazed gable and patent glazing offer stunning views out to the existing beautiful garden, whilst the first-floor balcony allows access out from the existing bedroom to provide elevated views.The final component is the large patent glazed area over the existing stair and hallway, which floods, what was once a dark space, with daylight and offers views of the sky.
This beautiful house in Staveley was originally a simple farmhouse but was extended in the 18th century with the addition of the southern wing. We were engaged to completely reconfigure the internal spaces removing the 18th century staircase and installing a new central staircase in the original farmhouse, accessed from a new glazed central hallway. The main entrance to the house has been repositioned with a simple Lakeland farmhouse porch. Externally a new landscaped rear courtyard has been formed, centred around a natural stone feature outdoor fireplace, with terraced planting and stone steps to the rest of the garden. The existing open sided lean-to structure, adjacent to the courtyard, has also been adjusted, to allow access out from the new kitchen and a bespoke larch clad sauna room to be positioned in the end bay.
Often the best approach to extend a traditional building is to do so in a modern and contemporary style, so that there is a clear distinction between old and new, enabling the buildings history to be easily understood. This 2-storey extension with single storey pavilion completely transforms the property, with large bright family spaces, which connect out to a series of terraces, extending the living space. The blend of elegant clean roofing and large expanses of glazing paired with traditional stonework allows the new building to sit comfortably alongside the old.
The reroofing and extension of this traditional Lakeland lodge has totally transformed this house to maximise the stunning elevated position, with views out over Windemere Lake. Elements of Lakeland stone facing allow the building to sit comfortably within the wooded landscape whilst the dark grey timber cladding and clean simple steel roofing combine to create a clean and elegant form.
The client engaged COW architecture to totally transform this simple 3-bedroom home in Ravenstown. The existing house has been extended at the front and rear and the original pitched roof removed and replaced with a clean contemporary aluminium standing seam roof, set out at different heights. Burnt larch cladding and white through colour render cover the facades to give a sharp clean finish offset with areas of natural stone facing. New black framed aluminium windows have been added throughout, and the southern gable has been fully glazed to maximise the views out towards the estuary and the Lakeland Fells. Internally the ground floor is open plan with sliding doors out to the new rear landscaped terrace, extending the living spaces and creating indoor outdoor living.
This new house had to be simple in form and materials to allow it to blend in with the other traditional buildings on site.
The simple elegant, glazed box was the exception to the rule and allows the main living spaces to engage fully with the stunning existing walled garden. The large expanse of glazing, frameless glazed corners and elegant profiled roof canopy provide a very light structure, giving the feeling of sitting within the garden.
Extending a traditional building can often be tricky, and this extension, had to work hard to maximise the engagement with the beautiful waterfall and pool, whilst incorporating the existing stone wheelhouse arch and maintaining a traditional appearance from the roadside. Blending large areas of glazing with traditional local materials allows this extension to sit comfortably within its setting, whilst still delivering striking architecture.
Mill House, Cartmel
The Old Bar, Cartmel
Nestled in the shadow of the historic Cartmel gatehouse, the Old Bar occupies one of the most picturesque approaches into Cartmel Square. The building has been in a dilapidated state for many years and its internal fabric has perished significantly. The new design looks to breathe fresh life into this charming building whilst retaining its traditional external appearance. Internally new contemporary elements will blend with the restored original timber structure and slate floors.
