Nichols Brown Webber

I worked with Ian Brown of Nichols Brown Webber on a new build of a family home, having had a few false starts with other architects. By the time we met, I had read a lot of architect and design books and had found an affinity with The Pattern Language by Christopher Alexander. Fortunately, Ian was familiar with this book and was very positive in using this as a framework on the house design. The planning process wasn’t straight forward as we were building in a flood plain with a difficult local planning council and numerous Environment Agency restrictions. In addition, my husband wasn’t’ keen on a new build home that was without character. Therefore, It was a tall order to provide a spacious, light-filled, flexible living, environmentally friendly, family home with character and beauty. From designing and drawing plans for the home, planning and appeal process, organising tender of build and managing entire house build, Ian was professional, responsive, and very collaborative in approach. The project ran over several years and Ian always retained his positive and intelligent approach as well as being a pleasure to work with. The house has met the tall order of being a spacious, light-filled, flexible living, environmentally friendly family home with character and beauty. And the neighbours even like it.

I commissioned Nichols Brown Webber in 2008 to prepare detailed design drawings and specification for extension works to my existing residential property, to submit and obtain detailed planning approval to the proposed scheme and subsequently in 2013 to prepare working drawings and specifications for the preparation of contract drawings. I chose NBW after very satisfactory experience of working with the practice on the successful completion of the design and project management of two successful hotel projects at a major theme park. As a construction professional I can vouch for the quality of the architectural service and practical understanding of the construction detailing needed for a successful project. It has been very refreshing to work with a talented practice that has worked closely with the Client to understand and meet his brief without trying to hijack it for purely "Architectural/aesthetic" reasons.

We worked with Andy Nichols and Ian Brown for a year and a half to create "a sort of Georgian Rectory that would look as though it had always been there" ..... we said we wanted to live "in a Merchant Ivory film" ..... and that's exactly what we got . We were very involved in the process and yet NBW were incredibly collaborative and never lost their sense of humour . As well as understanding our overall brief , they were fastidious about the details of every aspect of the house, inside and out .

Fantastic! I chose Nichols,Brown Webber to re-develop a waterside property in Salcombe entailing a reasonable degreee of complexity combined with imaginative thinkinng. I also wanted it to be completed in a demanding time frame. They were utterly reliable, responsive, excellent communicators and a source of good,intelligent advice throughput. They managed the project with immense professionalism which required me to provide less input and time than I had exepcted. Moreover they demonstrated integrity, were creative and the end result was a huge success. I will use them on my next project without hesitation.