Extension Architecture

  Two houses. Same SW19 postcode. Same street. One extends without planning permission. The other gets enforcement action for doing the same thing. That is not a hypothetical. It happens in Wimbledon because Article 4 Directions do not follow postcode boundaries. They follow street boundaries. Sometimes they follow one side of a street. The family at number 14 can extend under permitted development. The family at number 15 cannot. Watch our Wimbledon architects project video to see how Extension Architecture has navigated this across 45 completed SW19 and SW20 projects. The Street Level Rule That Changes Everything Article 4 Directions in Wimbledon remove permitted development rights on specific streets. Not specific postcodes. Not specific conservation areas. Specific streets. A rear extension up to 3 metres deep on a terraced house is automatic in most of London. On an Article 4 street in SW19 it needs a full planning application to Merton Council. The 8 week decision timeline a...

Extension Architecture is a RIBA chartered and ARB registered architectural practice based at 231 Roehampton Lane, SW15. We have completed 42 projects across Putney and currently manage 60 live planning applications with Wandsworth Council. Our planning approval rate is 98% across 2,220 projects in London and Surrey. If youre looking for architects Putney with a verifiable local track record, those numbers represent 17 years of continuous practice in this specific part of south west London. You can also watch our Putney architects project video to see completed local projects from survey through to finished build. Do I Need Planning Permission for a House Extension in Putney? Often yes. Many Putney streets have Article 4 Directions that remove permitted development rights. A full planning application to Wandsworth Council is required even for modest rear extensions on these streets. Putney has more than a dozen conservation areas. These include West Putney, Putney Heath, Putney L...

Most homeowners researching an extension read guides. Few get to watch an actual project unfold. Architects in Hammersmith working through a real build, filmed from first survey through to completion, offer something a written guide simply can't. Seeing the sequence in order tends to answer more practical questions than any checklist could. What Makes Hammersmith Different From Neighbouring Boroughs? Hammersmith and Fulham share a planning authority, but the housing stock across the borough varies considerably. Victorian and Edwardian terraces dominate much of W6, while pockets of more contemporary development sit closer to the river. A few things shape almost every project here: Conservation coverage : the borough holds 13 designated conservation areas, each with its own specific guidelines. Article 4 restrictions : many streets carry directions removing standard Permitted Development rights. Narrow plots : Victorian terraces leave limited room to extend, making design efficienc...

There's a detail Extension Architecture doesn't usually lead with: founder Eugene Kim grew up in Sutton and attended Sutton Grammar School. It explains something homeowners notice fairly quickly once a project starts, working with genuinely local architects Sutton residents recommend rarely treats these streets like generic postcodes on a map. What does local knowledge actually change in a Sutton application? Knowing a borough from the inside means knowing which streets keep straightforward Permitted Development rights and which ones don't, before a client even asks the question. Most single-storey rear extensions across SM1 and SM2 qualify as Permitted Development, meaning no formal application is needed. The limit is 3 metres for a terraced house and 4 metres for a detached one. That default holds across much of Sutton more consistently than in many neighbouring boroughs, which is part of why local familiarity with which streets are the exception matters as much as the ...

My neighbour on Medfield Street spent four months chasing quotes. She didn't even have a proper drawing to show a builder yet. When it was my turn to extend, I skipped that stage entirely and went straight to local Putney architects who already knew Wandsworth Council's habits. That single decision saved me weeks. Our house is a fairly standard Edwardian mid-terrace off Putney Bridge Road, the kind with the deep rear garden and the awkward kitchen everyone in SW15 seems to inherit. I wanted a single-storey rear extension, and eventually a loft. Putney has a habit of making that sound simpler than it actually is. Do I need planning permission for a house extension in Putney? Often, yes. Many Putney streets sit inside a conservation area or carry an Article 4 Direction, either of which can remove your automatic right to extend without a full application. Mine wasn't in either category, but two streets over, several are. Dover House Estate, Putney Lower Common and Roehamp...

Two roof shapes. Two very different results. Choosing between a dormer loft conversion and a mansard comes down to what the existing roof can support and how much space is actually needed. Both add genuine value to a property. The right choice depends on the specific roof, not a general preference for one over the other. What Is A Dormer Loft Conversion? A dormer extends the roof outward, usually at the rear, creating a box shaped addition with vertical walls and a flat or pitched roof of its own. It adds genuine headroom without a complete roofline change. Most dormer conversions qualify as Permitted Development, provided they stay within standard volume limits. That makes them one of the more straightforward loft options in terms of planning. A rear dormer tends to face fewer restrictions than one facing the street, since it stays out of view from the front of the property. What Is A Mansard Loft Conversion? A mansard alters the entire roof slope, typically to a steep angle close t...