The Cave Cooperative Ltd

We have recently completed a loft conversion project with The Cave Cooperative and we are very pleased with the outcome. We now have two bedrooms and shower room on the upper floor which blend in beautifully with the rest of our 1920s house. The architectural plans helped to make best use of the space and maximise the light - creating rooms in which spending time is a pleasure. The extension was originally meant for visitors but we’ve moved up ourselves.

We have just finished a large kitchen extension and ground floor remodel (garage conversion to office, new downstairs shower room) with Cave Coop (Paul Harvey and Rosaly Kortz) as our architects. They truly have been amazing from start to finish. We chose Cave for its eco and sustainability focus and, on this, they really delivered. Our ASHP and solar panels were up and running in time to meet the (very tight) RHI grant deadline and we are already recouping more than expected due to the rising price of gas and electricity. Their expert knowledge on specifying eco materials was impressive and they did their best to help our builder who had never done an eco build before. We made a few quirky suggestions like taking off the roof and fitting a timber frame and Paul really leaned into our ideas and helped us to make our dream kitchen come true. He suggested excellent third parties to work with and his attention to detail is fantastic, from planning to tender and then staged valuations. The team's advice was invaluable, both Paul and Rosaly are very quick to respond to queries and to give sensible, practical answers, and they are both such lovely people that it has been a genuine pleasure to work with them over the last two and a half years.

We highly recommend The Cave Cooperative to anyone looking to have works done on their home. Paul Harvey guided us patiently through the various options and was able to creatively and cost efficiently meet our 'must have' list. It was also great to have an experienced person manage the contractor and reduce the pressure on us during the build process. We are very pleased with our new home.

Without previous experience of such a major project we set out to find a local architect who could approach our solid old 1930s pebble-dashed semi-detached house with some modern ideas for a 3 metre rear extension into the south-facing garden, and a side return to replace the existing old structures. We were interested in exploring ‘green’ options for the build which would, among other requirements, address our problems with the house’s inability to retain warmth in the winter, confirmed by our 2013 EPC rating of E(51). We wanted a bright and open, unstructured space for our new kitchen, dining, living and TV viewing areas, a major departure from the compartmentalised spaces we had lived with for nearly 20 years. Paul carried out the survey and Liz delivered plans for several options. Two fundamental proposals which surprised us were to build the floor in the traditional manner with wooden joists and therefore a well ventilated void underneath, and also to use exterior wall insulation rather than the assumed cavity walls. That the original brick walls were built without cavities was confirmed in the early stages of demolition. Though Liz presented other options we went with the proposal to knock out the entire 8 metre rear wall and support the first floor with steelwork. This would enable us to install sliding bifold doors to open up and extend the new interior on to the terrace. We had probably been unrealistic with our notions of how long the design process would take from first meeting through to appointing a builder. However, thanks to Cave’s meticulous attention to detail both Planning Permission and Building Regulations approval were granted without challenge. Liz had collaborated with a firm of structural engineers (an additional expense) to arrive at the correct and very detailed specification for the extensive steelwork. So now we have it, our very lovely space, complete with modern kitchen, underfloor heating, a solar PV array, insulation throughout in the ceiling and floor voids and on all new walls. Our new EPC rating is C(74). We are grateful to Liz and Paul for their careful and creative approach to our design, for guiding us through the whole sequence of steps and decisions which had to be made, and for meeting our brief. We are very happy to recommend them.

The Cave Cooperative were fantastic throughout the long and lengthy process of building our new extension and amending the existing house layout. In the initial stages they helped us to visualise our extension through their in-depth, accurate and creative design plans. Throughout the build, Cave continued to project manage with authority and credibility. A massive thank you to Paul for your personal interaction with us, whilst keeping professional; a happy balance.

I have been working with the team at Cave now for 10 years or so and have enjoyed working on their interesting projects. Their designs are of a high quality, their drawings are clear and accurate, they communicate well and are readily available on site. Working with Cave is always an enjoyable process. As a builder that specialises in sustainable design it's great to work with architects that have similar principles

I've worked with Cave on many projects and always appreciate their high technical standard, which runs in parallel with their great architectural flair. They really understand the process and how to take the risk and stress out of the process. Working with them is easy and pleasurable.

I have had experience with four different architects over the years as we have upgraded our accommodation. I can confirm that Cave is easily the best with whom I have worked and I say this for three reasons. Firstly, their designs are inspiring rather than workmanlike - our current project will make a positive design statement while fitting very comfortably into the area. Secondly, their commitment to sustainability is both genuine and effective which, given the state of the planet needs to become more commonplace and finally, they are really nice people to do business with. They engage in dialogue and, unlike so many professionals, they didn't ever try to force their ideas down our throats! Five stars without hesitation.

So…..in your head your ideas for that new build; extension; conversion; Eco castle, look awesome. Ok. So where/what/who next?! If you’re anything like us, our first thought was to run for the hills whilst locking any visions safely in a box marked ‘come back to when it seems less scary because we haven’t got a clue.’ Then we discovered Cave. Liz Crisp and her amazing team somehow managed to make sense of whatever we threw at them (metaphorically speaking, I hasten to add). From start to finish we were kept involved and informed. If an idea truly wasn’t feasible within budget or space constraints the team always came up with alternatives that had us wondering why we hadn’t thought of them in the first place. The vision for our garage conversion and wrap around single-storey extension came to life before our eyes. Not forgetting wonderful ideas for a living roof (which I have longed for) and thoughts on imaginative and exciting ways to make our small, uphill garden more user-friendly and a space to be enjoyed and utilised. We don’t wish for this testimonial to become so long you take root whilst reading it so we will end by saying that after working with Cave we have absolutely no hesitation in recommending them. Their ethos, professionalism and knowledge are faultless. Combine this with a friendly, approachable and matter of fact outlook and you have quite an unbeatable mix

I had been looking around for a suitable sustainable living project and finally bought a sorry-looking ruin in deepest France. For the most part cob on a flint base, with a variety of add-ons, it had been abused in the 1960s by its then owner who had coated it in a thick layer of cement so that, from the outside at least, it had all the appearance of a WW2 bunker. Once inside though, the potential was clear. I knew Liz Crisp of Cave through family connections and was already aware of her highly-principled approach to her work. She and Vera Hale were keen to help me knock my rough-and-ready ideas into professional shape. Using original materials and methods, always rigourously enforced, (no cutting corners…), what was ready for the bulldozer is now looking seriously good and is attracting favourable comment and attention, both locally and from wider afield. I would recommend Cave without hesitation to all who aspire to new and sustainable ways of living.

Working with Liz and the team at Cave has been a thorough pleasure. From our first meeting through to completion of the project, which was a total renovation of our 3 storey Victorian house, her sensitive attention to detail, style, and ideas were second to none. Starting with the first set of drawings and plans to the inevitable changes and planning applications, they were all handled with the utmost tact and diplomacy. We now have a magnificent home and have nothing but praise for Liz as to how it has all turned out.

We employed The Cave Cooperative Ltd. last year to design and manage the building of a new kitchen extension and downstairs bathroom conversion. Paul Harvey, to whom the task was assigned, proved to be invaluable throughout the whole process. He demonstrated an indepth knowledge of architecture, as well as building regulations and planning processes. We took his advice on the choice of contractor and he was an excellent intermediary. Both he and his colleagues were easily accessible, friendly and helpful. We should not hesitate in recommending them.