Service
Eco build, extensions & outbuildings
Garden rooms, studios and extensions in natural materials — designed and built to suit you, often within permitted development.
Extensions, outbuildings and eco-structures — garden rooms, playrooms, studios, small offices and even two-storey extensions — can be designed, costed and built to suit your needs, often without requiring full planning permission.
By taking advantage of ‘permitted development’ rules, there is wide scope for creating extra rooms, either attached to or separate from your house. We can advise on what may be classed as permitted development within your property and, in consultation with you, design the build from the ground up.
Designed around you
All our designs are hand-drawn in the traditional way — full plans and elevations to scale, ready for building regulations. We’ll also design any renewable energy systems, or the conventional electrics, plumbing and heating your new space requires.
What we build
- Garden rooms, studios, playrooms and home offices
- Outbuildings and eco-structures in natural materials
- Single and two-storey extensions
- Permitted-development advice and full planning support
- Hand-drawn plans and elevations, drawn to scale
- Integrated renewables, electrics, plumbing and heating
Frequently asked questions
Do I need planning permission for a garden room?
Often not. A garden room usually counts as an outbuilding under permitted development, provided it is single-storey with eaves no higher than 2.5m (max 4m ridge for a dual-pitched roof, 3m otherwise), sits no closer than 2m to a boundary if over 2.5m tall, and — with other outbuildings — covers under 50% of your garden. Planning permission is needed if it is used as self-contained living or sleeping accommodation, or if you are in a Conservation Area, National Park or near a listed building. We will advise honestly at our consultation visit; rules differ in every garden.
Can I extend a listed building or one in a Conservation Area?
Yes, but extending a listed building almost always requires Listed Building Consent in addition to planning permission — this applies to the interior as well as the exterior, and unauthorised work is an offence. In a Conservation Area, permitted development rights are restricted but not removed. Sympathetic, breathable extensions using lime and traditional detailing are usually viewed favourably by conservation officers. As period and heritage specialists we can guide you through the consents and liaise with your local authority.
What makes a build genuinely 'eco' or breathable?
A genuinely breathable build manages moisture rather than trapping it. That means vapour-open materials — lime mortars, renders and plasters, and natural insulation such as wood fibre, sheep's wool or hemp — that let walls absorb and release moisture, avoiding the damp and decay that modern cement and plastic membranes can cause in older fabric. We pair this with green oak or chestnut framing and consider sustainable heating. It is the right approach for old buildings and a healthy choice for new ones.
How much does a single-storey extension cost in the UK?
As a guide, typical UK market rates for a single-storey extension run from roughly £2,000 to £3,000+ per square metre, with heritage, lime-based or oak-framed work towards or above the upper end because of specialist materials and skilled hand-craftsmanship. These are researched market ranges, not our quotes — every old building and site differs. We offer a consultancy visit (the fee is deducted from your final invoice if the work proceeds) to give you an accurate, tailored figure.
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