Testimonials
”JBA have unlocked all kinds of difficulties that we were facing as we sought to redevelop redundant agricultural engineering premises in our conservation area – culminating in a beautiful new build at the village entrance. Brilliant design” Hugh – Owner – Redevelopment of Reading Room & The Works plus 2x new houses in Bishops Tawton – North Devon 2020
”JB Architects completely transformed the tired, cold 1970s bungalow we bought into a chic, funky, beach house. This is our main home and JBA’s designs combined the practicalities required for that with a large dose of liveable-in flair. I was particularly impressed by the effort he put in to reduce our heating bills and make the house as eco-friendly as possible.” Clare – Owner – House in North Devon 2019
”My wife and I are absolutely thrilled with the new house conceived and designed for us by JB Architects. We particularly love the unusual and innovative design features which greatly enhance our enjoyment. We knew that we had given JB Architects a complicated brief as we wished to downsize from a large 400 year-old Manor House on our Farm in the Midlands to a smaller, more manageable property. There were no houses suitable for conversion on the Farm and so JB Architects set about obtaining permission for the demolition of a pair of dilapidated cottages and the construction of a new house on the site.
The brief was to design a house to maximise the light, using as much glass as possible, provide easy and economical open plan living space and 4 bedrooms. Because the site was close to other old stone houses and farm buildings, a sensitive mix of traditional stone construction with an ultra-modern flat roof extension joined to the house by a glass linked dining area was proposed. Planning Consent was always going to be difficult but JB Architects negotiated patiently but firmly with the LPA over an 18 month period and achieved a very satisfactory Approval.
Although based in Devon, JB Architects supervised the project from the start and always liaised closely with my wife and I about every detail. They are particularly knowledgeable about using modern environmentally friendly and green building materials. The house has achieved all our goals and came within budget and so we would highly recommend JB Architects to anyone wishing to extend their existing property or build new.” David – Owner – New House in Northamptonshire 2018
”JB Architects have recently completed a large extension to a Victorian keeper’s cottage for my wife and me to live in retirement. The county planners required the extension to be sunk partially into the ground behind the existing cottage and the architects’ plans were most imaginative, allowing light to pour into the low extension from either side of the cottage. No small planning detail was omitted and JB Architects were also responsible for project management and contract administration. These tasks were executed punctiliously, communicating daily by email with the building contractors and keeping close control of the contract budget. The final result is most satisfactory, with high ceilings and really good light.” John – Owner – House in S. Wales 2017
“James is a detailed orientated professional who cares passionately about the end result. Precise and transparent his detailed knowledge of this area has been consistent and reliable.” Top Qualities: Great Results, Expert, High Integrity – Diana – Chief Operations Officer at Mo Farah Foundation – for the Mo Farah Foundation Residential Training College and Sports Centre near Hargeisa, Somaliland 2015
”James designed and oversaw a major four-unit residential conversion for the rental market in Central London. This involved significant planning and listed building issues and he negotiated a potentially sensitive and difficult design process with aplomb. His interaction with the various contractors was also spot on. The resulting apartments have attracted very strong rents which is testament to their design and the finish quality which James was able to help provide.” -Henry – Trustee – The Lloyd-Baker Estate, London WC1V 2012
“James designed and managed the development of a partially collapsed 1920’s brick workshop into an excellent 2 story media studio, complete with future proofing, sustainable solar and gas heating, high spec insulation and modern data and electrical systems. From 3 barely stable brick walls, James managed structural engineers, two sets of building contractors and individual M&E providers, to complete the project in an efficient and timely manner. I would highly recommend James for small to large projects where his expert knowledge, creativity and hands on management will be a great asset.” – Toby – Owner of 12a Shaftsbury Road N19 2011
”James worked incredibly hard to bring our project in on time and under budget – a major achievement when dealing with complex repairs like roofing.” -Hermione – Owner 18 Vereker Road, London W14 2011
”JBA worked on a total revamp of my home in London as architect, project manager and less officially, interior’s adviser (the interior space was part of the architecture – I also sought his advice on colour schemes etc.).
James from JBA worked with my ideas to make them oh so much better. He has a great aesthetic eye yet is keen to keep things practical and user-friendly. For my house we totally remodeled the inside to modernize it. I had some basic ideas as to how I’d like the new layout to be and I was keen on keeping costs down and reusing things where possible. JBA really impressed me with the use of space and light that they came up with. A few examples of things where they added style, innovation and practicality are: had the idea to use the treads from my old spiral staircase as the living room bookshelf & some of the old floorboards that we took up are now shelves in the new linen cupboards. I had an idea that I’d like a fish tank in the house somewhere and he suggested using it as the splashback/ separator between the newly created kitchen/ living room space. Added internal windows to optimize light at all levels. Where I have a strange curved walled on the bottom floor, he fashioned something to reflect that on the opposite stair-encasement. . .people comment on the ‘lines’ all over the house.. I would never have thought of ‘lines’. It’s essentially the house I wanted but it looks so much better that I could ever have dared hope for.
I had not thought that having the architect manage the build would make much difference but it was amazing how many things the builders missed each day from his design and he had to hop in to remind them. He seemed to have a great rapport with the various tradesmen and the whole project came in bang on budget.” Clare – Owner – Belgrave Mews Project London SW1 2011
”We were extremely happy with the ideas and designs presented and found James highly skilled and imaginative in embracing the natural materials available. His dealings with other professionals and council was exemplary. All council planning authority matters in particular were handled with great sensitivity and professionalism. As a result these ran very smoothly with little hassle, time delays or compromises being occurred; testament to James’s careful attention to detail. In the event of the situation ever arising in the future we would be delighted to use James on any project requiring architectural services. We found him direct, honest and very enjoyable to work with.” -Michael – MD of Arrowfield Winery, Australia 2006
”A great team player, James showed excellent leadership qualities that enabled him to educate others working on the project. He has a sound working with materials and a wide range of building practices. He was a great asset to the company and will be sorely missed by all employees. He is a kind, thoughtful person and has a refreshing ‘can do’ attitude to a range of tasks…basically he’s a bloody good chap!” Anthony – Property Manager Arrowfield Winery, Australia 2006
”The refurbishment is wonderful. John and I don’t know how you have done it but you have somehow made the place feel bigger and lighter than it was before without extending it in any way.” Anna – Belgrave Mews, London SW1 2011