id8 designs ltd

Lee played a significant role in an ambitious project to transform a very ordinary late 1970s house into a spacious, modern and stylish family home on a relatively tight budget. Lee’s extensive experience with Kingston Council Planning expedited the acquisition of planning permission, despite Covid related delays. He played a central role in the design phase, recommended an excellent builder, and administered the contract with the builder. When designing the house, despite having a very clear idea of what we wanted, Lee would routinely listen patiently and then come up with much better ideas. He provided excellent advice and helped us through the numerous issues that arise when undertaking a project of this size. By administering the contract he liaised closely with the builders and was an invaluable intermediary, saving us significant sums of money. Being local to the Surbiton/Kingston area Lee has many contacts and was able to recommend first rate local suppliers and tradesmen. I have already highly recommended id8 designs to several friends and will continue to do so. It was an absolute pleasure working with Lee and should I ever decide to undertake another project, Lee will be the first person I speak to.

We engaged with Lee back in January 2021 after purchasing a house that needed a lot of work doing to it as it hadn't been touch in about 50 years and the layout of the property wasn't using the space in the best way possible. We worked with Lee from initial briefing, sketches, designs, planning application, technical/construction information and on-site inspections. Lee recommended a suitable building team he has worked extensively with, and they were also fantastic. This was our first big project and Lee was informative throughout, helping to educate where necessary on the dos and don't, what can be expected, and providing recommendations for suppliers where necessary. The end result is fantastic. We'd us Lee for future projects, and have already recommended to one family member.

Lee provided an excellent service when he managed the project to complete renovations on our newly purchased home including conversion of the integral garage. He drew up initial ideas, liaised well and finally submitted plans to the local authority where they were approved without changes. He explained the tender process and various workstages associated with the project clearly. Lee was always quick to respond to queries, was easy to contact and managed the project in a quiet and confident manner. He liaised with the selected builder, monitored progress and approved all invoices prior to payment. Lee was also able to recommend suppliers (kitchen, bathrooms, doors and windows) which was invaluable during the pandemic. I would have no hesitation in recommending Lee.

It was a pleasure working with Lee on the re-design and renovation of our terrace home. A major project that included reconfiguration of existing floorplan as well as design and construction of new six meter extension. Due to the size and scope of this project, Lee prepared, submitted and we were granted full planning permission. Lee project managed start to finish, acted on our behalf with the builders, oversaw and approved all works before invoices were submitted and keep us well informed and advised. Of particular mention is the fact that Lee was always available, and any of our emails and/or calls were answered or responded to immediately, very much appreciated with all the stress to comes with such a big project. Thoroughly enjoyed working with Lee and confident in his insight, knowledge and abilities. Lee provided a design that was exactly what we wanted, within our budget, and was in keeping with our lifestyle and design ideas. I would highly recommend Lee and will use him again for any future projects. D. Hill, Surbiton

We did a ground floor kitchen extension project with Lee in 2018 which also included landscaping our garden and refurbishing the whole house. Lee was able to come up with a design that met our requirements. He helped us in securing a planning application for our project at the first try itself. He was gave us a very detailed document with all the relevant technical details which helped us in our tendering process. Lee also helped us find an excellent builder for the project and recommended many of the suppliers for other parts of the building project that we found quite useful, such as door and window providers, carpet providers etc. He also supervised the building project from start to finish ensuring that the builder was keeping to the requirements of the tender document. He was always available to give us advise at any point in the project. He had a good eye for detail and a good aesthetic sense. Overall, we were highly satisfied with the project. We feel like we are living in a totally modernised version of our house. I would happily recommend Lee for any similar building projects.

Lee Yau was our architect when we bought a house that required major renovations. He listened to our wishes and laid out architectural plans in clear detail every step of the way. His planned costs for the renovations were correct and we came in on budget. He liaised with his recommended builder effectively. There were no major hiccups and any issues were dealt with efficiently. His fees were reasonable and overall we received excellent architectural service from Lee. Highly recommended!

We chose Lee after meeting many architects. We liked his creative approach, practical applications of design for a family and chemistry between us. I.e he understood our balance of cost, speed and design and as a result we are super happy with the end result and his help project managing the builder to come under budget and bang on time. Perfect!

Lee provided a great service for us on a recent house extension. We discussed many design options and Lee accommodated our frequent changes in plan coming up with many solutions. He provided a great link with the building team and project managed the build also. We are using him again for another property also. Highly recommend.

Lee was always sensitive to our circumstances, requirements and ideas. We had fruitful 2 way discussions where we learned about the design, build & architectural process and he adapted his plans to match our needs. Lee managed the process from start to finish, from design proposals through to signing off the builders invoices. Having his help and advice through the build was helpful as the process is very full on and life is not as normal. Overall a great partnership.

We engaged Lee to help us design and build a ground floor kitchen extension. Lee's knowledge of this type of work was excellent and he was able to explain technical terms to us clearly. Lee drew on his experience of similar projects, including a useful photographic portfolio, together with his own imagination and sense of good design, to help us settle on an extension that was sympathetic to the age and features of the house ( Victorian/Edwardian terrace) while providing the space and utility we desired. He suggested we consider an apex roof design rather than the traditional sloping or flat roof. This increase our internal space and gave the exterior a unique and aesthetically pleasing appearance. Lee managed the tendering process efficiently resulting in us appointing an excellent building contractor. Lee project managed the design aspects with the builder, ensuring deadlines and budgets were met. Lee negotiated with Planning Officers, structural engineers and Building Control officers to keep the project moving along smoothly. Lee worked very well with our family and the various building professionals involved in the project. His fees were absolutely transparent and outstanding value for money. Lee was always available by phone , email or to visit and talk through any questions we had about the project. It was a pleasure to work with Lee who provided outstanding service to us and I would readily recommend him potential clients.