Charles Barclay Architects

We hired Charles Barclay on the recommendation of friends. I had met with a number of architects but prefer to go with personal recommendations. The project lasted a year and was over a year in the planning. From the moment we met with Charles and his team we felt that we were in good hands. Not only is he an outstanding architect with an expected eye for detail and design but he goes beyond that. He's easy to work with, is practical, open and more importantly, has a good sense of humour. He came up with a design that we could never have envisaged and then made it happen on time. He works collaboratively and is a natural communicator. When I tell people how happy we were with him and the builders, most people react that this is a very unusual tale. No project is without stress but it was all handled with care, consideration and open dialogue. We have got our dream house and we couldn't recommend Charles highly enough.

We used CBA on two projects but the main one was a complete modernisation and reconfiguring of the ground floor of our Victoria house. Five years on and every day I still appreciate and admire the great job they did. They created the perfect living space which is spacious and open plan but at the same time the various areas can be delineated with 'hidden' doors and partitions and it doesn't feel like a glass box stuck on the back of the house (which was our worry!). They were also great at responding to any of our concerns and came up with really good ideas to fine tune things as the building work went along. I can't recommend them highly enough.

CBA did a fantastic job on a complete re-design and re-thinking of our Edwardian style London home. We thought we knew what we wanted but Charles Barclay challenged us to think more radically and completely re-imagined the space in a way that went way beyond what we thought possible, skilfully avoiding the trap of seeing the project as simply an extension and instead leaving us with un-cluttered and light filled open plan areas. The finished project is unrecognisable from what was there before and has been universally admired. CBA were flexible around the choice of contractors and worked with us to agree and source finishes and design details. There were, inevitably, hiccups along the way with sub-contractors but CBA were always available and we couldn't be happier with the end result.

When you start a project the cost is more often what comes in the way. Right from the beginning of the project CBA came up with different options which enabled us to clearly decide what was important and what was secondary. CBA took care of everything from end to end, this includes producing a very detailed request for proposal which was sent to builders they advised as well as some that we sourced. They directed the project and provided us with valuable inputs. This includes the master piece in our kitchen: an in-wall mounted case bench. We had regular updates on the ongoing work to unable required adjustment. In the end we managed to have a stunning finished product whilst staying within our budget. This in itself is a major achievement. This is just for the technical part of it. On top of that CBA’ s architects are very friendly people to interact with.

We worked with Charles and his team to reconfigure our ground floor and create a new extension on a 1970s property in London. Having spoken with other architects, Charles impressed from the get go by immediately pin-pointing the issues and best solutions. Indeed this impression was confirmed throughout the process as he both listened to and understood our needs and tastes and swiftly and elegantly translated these into a strong architectural solution, with his crisp design stamp. The whole scheme was thorough and considered and Charles and his team were always happy to chat through any questions we had – inevitably convincing us he was right! Charles was also proactive in finding solutions, challenging our build team and reviewing the plans to bring them in on budget both at the early stages of the build and as and when any curve balls were uncovered (such as our building underpinning our neighbours). Charles and his team showed a level of care and attention at all stages of the build that made the process smooth, our lives’ easy and impressed not just us but our building team, who clearly work on many more projects than us and were wowed by the standard set and expected. The result is that a rather ugly, dark and unusable space has been transformed into an attractive, light-filled modern home we are proud of and, more importantly, love living in.

We talked with a number of architects before embarking on our Project but it was only when we met with CBA that we felt we got the creative input and innovative thinking that we were looking for. The curved glass design presented by CBA really appealed to us as it offered something different to most other extension projects we had come across and we felt it struck the right balance between cutting-edge design and functionality. CBA also added a lot of value at the execution phrase of the project. Whilst we had a hands-on approach, there were certain issues that only came to light due to CBA’s attentive monitoring of the build process, which averted any notable disruptions. Overall we were very happy with the service from CBA- and needless to say, with the end result- and would recommend them highly for this type of project.

Testimonial for Houzz and CBA website Feb 2017 I commissioned Charles Barclay Architects to build me a new house, which was completed in the year 2012. They had previously totally refurbished a 1960s terraced house for me in Marylebone, London W1 in 2000-2001. Both of these projects were imaginatively conceived as architecture and wonderfully useable as homes; they have given me enormous pleasure and satisfaction. The fact that I returned to Charles Barclay Architects to design and oversee the construction of the new house is testimony to their approach as architects and that I find them very easy to work with. I recommend them without hesitation. The new build was a challenging site near the coast in Suffolk: a 19 acre field that had been a pig farm on which remained a broken-down 60s/70s house alongside approximately 2 acres of concrete, which had housed pig sties & silos, all leading out into a large area of uncultivated land. The house was limited in size by costs, but had to be able to accommodate varyingly a couple, or expand to house a large family. Charles Barclay imaginatively decided to treat this enormous field as a ‘prairie’ and celebrate its expansive nature with a house that truly embraces its site. It is single storey and has three wings extending out in to the field, each framing a different view. The plan form of two conjoined ‘L’ shapes allows me to occupy the house as a private apartment, or open it up for a full family gathering. The house is an absolute triumph and has won many accolades. More importantly, it was an exciting project to undertake and continues to be a delight to live in. I have found Charles Barclay Architects a pleasure to work with and adept at interpreting and bringing to fruition my requirements in an imaginative and sympathetic way. We remain good friends! Felicity Guinness 17 February 2017

We had been renting a house designed by CBA for 4 years. When we decided to buy our own house, we approached CBA for designing what would become a heavy refurbishment project. It has been a pleasure and a very fruitful collaboration. We have very much appreciated the way they managed to translate our expectations and their understanding of the quality we were looking for. The follow-up of the activities on site has also been an excellent journey.

CBA listened to our brief and designed a house that was of the highest quality in design and execution. Building a house is meant to be a stressful time but CBA project managed our build with a high degree of detail, management, site visits and in such a professional manner that it was a pleasure to see the progress from start to finish.

Charles Barclays and his team are simply outstanding and we would recommend them any day. We bought a house that required a complete renovation. CBA made a "bold plan" proposal which we loved at first sight. They tailored it successfully to our needs (children zones, continental taste, etc.). They led the full project from beginning to end, starting from securing planning, tenders and managing a contractor and all third party professionals. At the same time we felt very involved and understood. We feel that the end result reflects exactly what we had dreamt, only in better. With CBA there are no problems, only solutions. Charles Barclays and his team (and particularly Alessandro Pena with whom we worked) are as top notch and professional as it gets. His team is passionate and extremely talented. The team is very resourceful and knowledgeable and could always advise us to keep the project going. For every question they always proposed concrete solutions at reasonable prices without ever compromising on quality. Charles has an impressive mastery of space, light and structures, and offers options that certainly gives a "wow" effect hoped for with an architect. For example, in our project CBA proposed to create double height ceilings surrounded by impressive windows and a rooftop light. That way, CBA managed to transform a dark garage into a majestic and very bright living space. Another example was to switch the parking space with the garden, and so creating a continuous flow between the house, the garden and the patio. The team is very dedicated and passionate and helped us through the whole process (email progress updates with key decision points, detailed timetables etc), from sourcing the floors to choosing the bathroom knobs. They have a strong list of quality/upscale suppliers. The close collaboration between CBA and the builders led to a finalised project that was on time, on budget and with absolutely no headache at all.