Jane D Burnside Architects

Jane Burnside designed our amazing new home and we’ve been living in it for just over a year now. Every morning when I walk into our kitchen/living space and see the light flooding in from all different angles and look out on to the huge landscaped terrace to the lawns and fields beyond – and I’m just so proud of what we’ve built. Jane’s style of architecture is well known in Ireland: each house is sculpted to blend with its setting; her houses are contemporary without being faddish; and they are uplifting to live in. Jane designed my parents’ house about ten years ago, (it’s an incredible house and they absolutely love it) so our expectations were very high. We were keen to be involved in the design of the house, so Jane came up with a concept design, which we loved, and then together we refined it using Jane’s computer models to help with visualisation and for accurately measuring how the sun would move around the house at different times of the day and throughout the year. After that, Jane took care of everything from a challenging Planning process, to getting a competitive price for the project with an excellent contractor, and then dealing with the daily queries from site throughout the complex build. I couldn’t recommend Jane Burnside highly enough – she’s an inspirational designer and a true professional.

“Jane Burnside designed our amazing new home and we’ve been living in it for just over a year now. Every morning when I walk into our kitchen/living space and see the light flooding in from all different angles and look out on to the huge landscaped terrace to the lawns and fields beyond – and I’m just so proud of what we’ve built. Jane’s style of architecture is well known in Ireland: each house is sculpted to blend with its setting; her houses are contemporary without being faddish; and they are uplifting to live in. Jane designed my parents’ house about seven years ago, so our expectations were very high. We were keen to be involved in the design of the house, so Jane came up with a concept design, which we loved, and then together we refined it using Jane’s computer models to help with visualisation and for accurately measuring how the sun would move around the house at different times of the day and throughout the year. After that, Jane took care of everything from a challenging Planning process, to getting a competitive price for the project with an excellent contractor, and then dealing with the daily queries from site throughout the complex build. I couldn’t recommend Jane Burnside highly enough – she’s an inspirational designer and a true professional.”

We came across Jane Burnside's work on the TV programme BBC House of the Year. We were very taken with her contemporary style of house design- and we liked Jane too which is important when you're having someone design something very personal. My husband and I were retiring and we aren't the sort to sit back and put our feet up - we like projects- so we literally sold up and bought a site in our dream location on the North Coast of Northern Ireland. The site was an old estate overlooking the sea and it had a lot of history attached to it: old stables, archways and estate walls. I can't say that there was a certain route that we wanted to go down but neither was our adventure undirected. We knew we wanted a contemporary, light filled house that maximised the sea views but we were also keen to do that without erasing the history of the old estate. Jane really listened to us and totally understood the delicate balance we were asking her to achieve. Her design for our home was inspirational yet very organic. She retained all the historic memories of the site (the old stables became guest accommodation whilst the stone archways and retaining walls were all preserved as garden and entrance features), and she framed these historic references with contemporary white pavilions(the main living/bedroom wing and garage). We couldn't have envisaged how it was going to happen but it has all come together beautifully: we have all the historic with memories and the mature setting that we loved the site for, plus we have a stunning contemporary new home.

I found out about Jane Burnside's work when I bought her book Contemporary Design Secrets: The Art of Building a House in the Countryside. I already had a set of plans drawn up by a local technician but I was uneasy about the design and I bought Jane's book really to check if I was right. I analysed the plans against the advice in the book and realised that the plans weren't making use of the site, the views we had or delivering the rooms that I needed. I rang Jane and she came to my house and sat all evening sketching different ideas out. She was a breath of fresh air. It was a big step to hire a new architect - I'd already paid for a full set of plans and we would have to start from scratch. But I was going to be spending a lot of money on the house and I knew I had to get the design right. How glad I am that I did. I've now got the most amazing house that we all love living in - I have to pinch myself sometimes that its really ours.

Ultra professional in every job undertaken, every job is a success and a pleasure to do business with. The finished job is of the highest standard.

We recently moved into our beautiful new house designed by Jane. She is an outstanding architect and she creates magnificent houses by using light and space in an exciting way. Our house has high ceilings with fantastic angles. The use of glass is exceptional and Jane has managed to capture a variety of views that surround the house and framed them superbly. Jane not only focuses on the house and it's interior design, but also gives consideration to the entire site and the environment in which it is situated. So, whilst the house is clearly contemporary in its design there are loud echoes of the Irish clachan in its structure so it manages to blend perfectly into the surrounding rural landscape. Indeed we have had many compliments from both passing locals and 'distant' visitors who have stopped to look and comment on the house. We worked with Jane on our project for a number of years and she was always sensitive to our needs, and understanding of our concerns. From the outset her approach was friendly, helpful and supportive. She worked through the design stage incorporating our ideas and a reflection of our lifestyle into the fabric of the house - always happy to adapt and change to meet our needs, whilst remaining true to the demands of the house she was creating. Jane helped us with all aspects of the process through planning permission, design, selection of a great builder and the management of the building stage . She was always there to offer general advice or just to talk things over. As a result we enjoyed the process through all stages and are immensely happy with the final result. Jane is a delightful person and an exceptional and dedicated architect and I would highly recommend her to anyone considering a project such as ours.

Jane worked with us to design and build our dream house. She produced a product to the highest standards, on time and within the cost envelope. Now, a decade on, our home still delights us.

In 2003 Helen and I appointed Jane Burnside Architects to design and project manage our new home, situated on an elevated country site in Co Armagh, Northern Ireland. Jane was recommended to us by a previous client and the practice clearly reflected our contemporary design aspirations. Selecting the Project Architect is a critical decision; on reflection we made an astute decision. Jane Burnside Architects afford personal attention given the practice controls the number of commissions they undertake. From start to finish we sincerely felt Jane and her team were fully committed to our project. The selected design suited our site conditions, the budget and our 'wish list'. The finished home is truly wonderful. Almost ten years on we find no other building space provides the environment we enjoy at home. Jane will challenge your preconceived plans and ideas, which we recommend you facilitate. She is clearly a passionate and committed professional. Importantly, our project was delivered within budget and on programme, resulting in very satisfied clients. Post completion snagging was dealt with promptly and efficiently. Despite house construction having a reputation of being a stressful experience, on reflection we found both the design and build stages straightforward. Jane attended and led all site meetings, which was reassuring. The most telling compliment we received was from another Architect, who after visiting our new home noted we now had a piece of Architecture to look after, as well as a family home. In summary, expect to be challenged and enjoy the experience. A unique house design awaits and a home you will never leave. Richard and Helen Nicholl, Co Armagh, UK.

Jane Burnside's reputation for designing beautiful contemporary houses precedes her - and it's well deserved. We commissioned her to design a 3,500 sq ft house on the original site of our family home where we had lived for over 30 years. Jane's imaginative design certainly captured the site and it;s beautiful views to the lough in ways we didn't imagine was possible - in fact we have seen more of the lough since we moved in than we did in the past 30 years of living in our old house. Jane was very easy to talk to and in doing so we gained a real understanding of how we actually live and what we aspired to achieve. As a result we have a unique home that is the perfect fit for us and we absolutely love it! So if you would like a home that is contemporary and stunningly beautiful - we would highly recommend JANE BURNSIDE ARCHITECTS. Thank you Jane & we wish you continued success.

I own an old victorian cottage which was unfortunately listed and therefore I thought I was limited in what I could do to update it. Fortunately I found Jane Burnside who managed my extension to the property from planning stage to completion. She is efficient, methodical and pays such great attention to detail that I retained her to project manage the build and she was worth every penny of her fee. She is artistic yet practical, fantastic at avoiding pitfalls or overcoming problems as they arise, she has a rapid response time to every query and her enthusiasm for good design is infectious. My dark and difficult home has been transformed by her into a light, spacious and airy place to live. She has beautifully combined traditional and contemporary architecture and we had great fun in the process. I would recommend Jane to any prospective customer without reservation.

Having gone through a number of different architects before, its been a pleasure and a relief to find someone as professional as Jane. We first encountered her work in a review of her book in the Sunday Times and on reading the book we contacted her immediately. What we liked so much was the fresh approach to design that she brings, the vibrant contemporary looks and how her attention to detail make such practical common sense for our family. We live in a different country so the regulations and customs were a little different, but nothing was ever a problem for Jane and her team. Her personal touch and professional approach just made everything flow so easily and naturally. We would heartily recommend her without any hesitation and would have no problems in making ourselves available to others should they wish to validate her work any further.

Finding Jane Burnside was akin to finding an oasis in the desert ! Finally here was an architect who not only listened to our requirements, but also delivered them in a workable and beautiful form. We had spent many hours looking at rural houses , concluding that a traditional retirement house or vernacular cottage was not for us. While we found it easy to say what we didn't want, we couldn't say what we did want. All we knew was that we wanted a complete change from the Victorian farmhouse we were to move out of. An abundance of natural light, no stairs, multipurpose space suitable to accommodate anywhere from 2 - 22 people ( growing grandchildren!) low maintainence grounds and above all pleasing to the eye were among our requirements, form and function was increasingly being uttered. We saw Jane's book and after reading it ,we were convinced that here was the answer to our dilemma . From our first meeting we were impressed with the quality of her work and professionalism . Guiding us away from unsuitable ideas and offering us much better alternatives Jane promptly produced 2 very different house layouts and our hardest decision was which one we liked best. Planning permission in our area is a nightmare and Jane has dealt with this in a very efficient no nonsense manner. In summing up I would recommend Jane Burnside Architects as an answer to anyone looking for a home that is not only tasteful and functional but also one that sets a standard for the future.