Beacham Architects

Mike was a brilliant help throughout our planning and build. Our project was a complete renovation of a Victorian terraced house in London. Mike and the team helped us plan an extension and renovation that would maximise light and space, whilst working to a tight budget. Through the design process we came to a design which worked well and prioritised the important parts and saved money where possible. Mike was also a fantastic help throughout the build, helping us to manage the builders in a professional, responsive manner. Mike helped us keep to our budget and keep the design on track by leading some fairly tricky discussions with our builders. Without Mike's support, I think we would have ended up either going over budget or compromising on the design of the house. Mike's thorough and professional management meant that we kept costs tracked, always had helpful summaries of the pieces that our builders needed to finalise or change, and didn't compromise on the design. I would not hesitate to recommend Mike - we completed a c £180k renovation under budget and finished to a very high level and felt confident throughout the process. If you'd like to know more, please ask Mike for my details and I'd be happy to have a conversation!

Mike was employed as my architect on a 500 sf (50%) extension to my Victorian flat - from drawing, submission, execution and follow through with builders and Quantity Surveyor during the build. I decided to have certain specifications under my own input, but he was nevertheless very respectful of that. He is very responsive, easy to work with, and I believe my builder (we were all a new quantum together) would say the same. I would thoroughly and highly recommend him as an architect who could helpfully interpret your ideas and/or introduce new ones without ‘bulldozing’. I now have an extremely light filled extension which is a complete pleasure to live in and enjoy.

Mike was involved in the design process for a £3m budget conversion of 20,000 sq ft former factory into a creative studio complex. I sought Mike input on both internal and external elevations with a brief to weave in the new clad sections with the existing brick to create unit identification along the 300 linear m elevations. I was delighted with the elevational studies and further commissioned Mike to project manage a design team for an internal atrium circa 10m height and 50 linear m length. Mike used expanded mesh and timber cladding to create the feel I was after. Mike also designed and produced a detailed procurement specification for toilets for the 200 person scheme which had innovative and practical (economic) ideas. I would highly recommend Mike as an architect for both commercial and residential schemes.

I recommend Mike Becham: www.beacham.archi - he helped us with our initial project soping for our rear extension in Leyton. He provided consultancy throughout the scope, design and development stages and has been worth his weight as we've navigated budgets, legals and permissions processes. He's very knowledgable and can help with all stages of the project.

Our Victorian terraced house was refurbished three years before embarking on a side return extension. The house was renovated to a high standard and Mike helped to reassure us that all the functions and aesthetics would be complimented. Having had a custom made kitchen to fit the previous space we re-configured it to fit the new space and worked around the original shape of the building incorporating more space for a family kitchen. We had a vision from the beginning and Mike really helped to develop those ideas whilst also giving more options and variations of design. He brought together our initial thoughts into a design that we found really novel and exciting. The attention to detail and marrying of shapes has created a visual that we love. Mike's expertise and knowledge was hugely beneficial with the application process making the first hurdles seamless. The new space has completely transformed our home and living. From what was a nice sized kitchen has become and large space to relax and entertain on a larger scale. The design of the precise straight lines and angled window runs throughout the downstairs and the large six metre piece of glass is a thing of beauty!

My kitchen was over 30 years old; tired and somewhat cramped. The other 2 rooms were added to the house at different times, they were not used to their full potential with a lot of wasted space. Beacham Architects re-designed the use of the space, they were very easy to work with: prompt, efficient, supplied drawings & information quickly, and found the specialists required to take the project forward. All my queries, either by email or phone, were answered by return. It's 18 months since the works were completed and I still get a thrill entering that part of the house. My kitchen is a welcoming and sociable area. I now have a superb, versatile garden room (that can also be used as an extra bedroom if required) and downstairs shower room. The quality of my home life has definitely improved. The space has been used so well that it's hard to believe how much has been achieved and included. People who have been coming to the house for years are amazed at how spacious and light the whole area is. So much has been included on the original footprint that I am often met with disbelief that there was no extension to the building. The natural light, especially in the shower room is excellent, and again causes much comment.

Mike was positive and professional when working through designs with us - he came up with excellent ideas for how we could change our house and was also sensitive to what we wanted. Mike was constantly 'on call' during construction which was really reassuring. He came up with solutions to issues and helped us work through to a completed project. Our new space downstairs is wonderful to be in, and we can now whip up a sunday roast with no problems in the kitchen! The new space feels nice to be in, and we love the big windows making us feel a bit more spacious in the city.

We engaged Beacham Architects to assist us in planning and designing a ground-floor extension to our family home. We thoroughly enjoyed working with Mike in the design phase, during which he spent time listening to and understanding our goals and budget. He then presented us with a range of options for making better use of our downstairs space and garden and worked closely with our builder to ensure that the chosen design was properly implemented. Mike's assistance was also invaluable in the process of obtaining planning permission. We are absolutely delighted with the results of the work, which has created a light and flexible kitchen and family area at the rear of our home, as well as incorporating the garden, which now feels like a further extension of our living space.