ARCHEA Ltd

Richard at Archea was our architect for a substantial renovation project on a small terraced Victorian house that involved structural work. He recommended builders to use whose quotes were in line with others we had received who carried out the work by the book. Richard worked with the builders to ensure the designs he'd drawn up were executed accurately. 1.5-2 years on we've had no issues with the property. Richard also drew up a range of different and practical plans on how best to use the limited space in the property. Richard was also willing to put us in touch with former clients so we could get their experience of working with him, which was reassuring. Richard also had a lot of ideas for how to finish the house in terms of kitchen, paving etc. and came up with ideas that were both stylish and affordable. Ultimately we feel the building work was done right on our home, which has helped us maximise the potential of the property. Richard's work was a huge part of this and he was very willing to sit down and talk us through the plans, costings etc. at length. We found Richard and his team to be calm, knowledgeable and easy to work with and his prices were reasonable. We would happily recommend him to anyone!

Richard and the Archea team were great to work with. They came up with several concepts and designs that we hadn’t previously thought of. We wanted to move our old bathroom to facilitate a new roof terrace. Based on that brief Archea presented several layout options, all ingenious ways to best use the space available. They also designed a roof terrace that was simple and affordable to construct. Richard’s knowledge of materials and suppliers was a huge benefit too. Beautiful windows and doors at great prices, delivered on schedule. And sourcing efficient slimline insulation products for our Victorian roof. Good budget conscious designs, great advice, and helpful insights at the planning stage too.

Richard and Mariam are brilliant, I would really recommend them if you like the style/look of their previous projects but don’t know where to start with the detailed specification and construction side of things. They are very friendly and straightforward to work with! My house was small and quite simple on the construction side (no extension, but a full renovation) and so the thing I found most helpful was their range of preferred suppliers/options for things like windows, lighting, tiling, bathroom etc., which took away a lot of stress from the decision making and budgeting. Overall it was an extremely smooth process doing the designs and specification (I was very happy with the suggestions made), getting planning permission and then Archea recommended a reliable builder and managed them through the building works. It was during the Covid lockdowns and at each stage their guidance made me feel confident to keep moving ahead with things. I loved the final result and it really transformed my enjoyment of living in my small house! We have now moved and would use Archea again on our new place.

Archea undertook a kitchen extension for us in 2016. The design of the kitchen, along with the extension was, well thought out. The external used brickwork wouldn’t have been one we would have chosen ourselves but resulted in a beautiful design. The choice of windows provided a bright and warm space. Internally the materials used has resulted in long lasting and practical design. Richard personally managed the onsite team, who were all very professional. They listened to on-the-fly changes and were able to adapt to deliver a wonderful, working room. After 10 years our kitchen is still fantastic, and we wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Archea.

Richard and the Archea team provided an excellent service throughout the design and build of our kitchen extension and bathroom and shower room refits. From the initial consultations to the planning and construction, Richard provided advice that was both practical and creative, drawing from his obvious experience of Victorian house projects, whilst responding to our specific wishes and limitations. His thorough planning documents were provided in a very user friendly format that included links to suggested suppliers, enabling flexibility for our tastes and budget, with just the right amount of guidance! His communication before and during the build was excellent, the latter having been particularly important in keeping the build on track. Richard was also really pleasant to deal with throughout – a welcome voice of calm and reassurance during what could have been an overwhelming experience! We recommend him and Archea highly to others.

We highly recommend Richard and his team. From the moment we met, it felt like we were on the same page as to how our vision for our kitchen extension could be realised. Richard has developed a great system: from design stages, planning application, through to specification and implementation, with transparent financial breakdowns. Richard’s comprehensive list of suppliers and specifications – structural, windows/doors, kitchen/bathroom fittings, lighting etc – relieves clients from a lot of research stress. For our own research we only needed to focus on a few special details that we desired. We are super-happy with our kitchen extension, and the whole process from first meeting to completed project.

We recently worked with Richard on a kitchen extension for our family home and we couldn’t be happier with how it turned out. As a family of four, we needed a space that could be used for everything from cooking and family dinners to school projects and they helped us figure out how to make the most of the space - the final design feels both practical and really lovely to be in. They were clear about what was happening at each stage, and really on top of things throughout the whole process. The extension has changed how we use our home. We thoroughly recommend Richard and Archea.

From start to finish Richard was excellent to work with. He redesigned our entire flat, adding a loft extension, presenting multiple interesting options which showed how closely he’d listened to us, and worked to our budget, but also opened up alternative approaches that we’d never have thought of. He managed the project all the way through, securing builders who were first rate and reasonable. The work was delivered on time and on budget. Communication was managed extremely well throughout. In truth, having the work done was about 100% less stressful than I had imagined it would be - which was almost entirely down to Richard’s skilful management. It’s now been a few years since we had the flat done and we love it - as a home, everything functions as it should, no niggles, and it still looks great!

We had a fantastic experience with Richard and the Archea team. They made the full renovation of our Victorian terrace as smooth as possible and we could not be happier with the results. Richard is extremely personable and easy to work with. He was meticulous in taking the time to understand our brief, the drawing up of plans, engaging with the builders and contractors and managing the project until completion. We can't recommend Archea highly enough!

I found the advice and support really helpful throughout the whole project of renovating a 200 year old maisonette. From the start the approach was to do the best job possible with enough flexibility to account for taste as well as budget. Richard found solutions to problems I had not even throught of. His way of working ensured that we were working with the house's history as well as preparing it for the future. He also helped to find an excellent builder. Would highly recommend!

We used Archea to extend our Victorian terrace house, adding a new side extension and garden room. Richard and Luke spent time listening to what we needed, showed us plenty of options we would never have thought of on our own and helped us select a great builder. They also managed the project through some very tricky times in terms of lockdowns and supply chain delays. We are delighted with the results and have recommended the team to several of our friends.

We couldn't recommend Richard and Mariam highly enough. They walked us through a complicated conversion of our flat from what was a fairly dark live / work open-plan space into a lovely light-filled two bedroom family home. They supported us all the way through, involving us in every part of the project so that - while we were the decision-makers - we 100% relied on them for their professional expertise, experience, insight and ideas. Archea's handling of the planning process with the local authority was very clear and well-explained, ultimately getting the right results in a timely way with no problems. On a few occasions, plans had to change and Rich and Mariam were able to flex with no issues, with the result that the final result was better than any of us had hoped for. Their recommendations for builders were great too, the team we went with were well-suited to the job - competent in heavy team-work such as removing and installing large roof lights through to some fairly intricate joinery work. All in all, we were very happy with the experience and the final result.