New Build House Architects
We design and deliver new houses, from family homes in London’s suburbs to country houses on large rural sites. Many of our new houses replace an existing building, and each one is designed around its site, its setting and the way our clients want to live.
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Starting with the site
A new house begins with understanding what a site can offer: its orientation, views, trees, access and planning history. Before design starts, we assess whether it can deliver the home our clients want.
Sometimes the honest answer is no. At Radlett, our clients first asked us to extend their existing house. After a detailed appraisal, we advised that neither the house nor the site could achieve what they were hoping for. Six months later, they returned with a new site, and we designed their house there.
Planning
Planning permission for a new house, particularly a contemporary one, needs a clear case. We prepare the application and manage the process, working with planning consultants, arboriculturists and other specialists where needed.
In Berkshire, the planners set strict limits on height, and we had to make a strong case for a modern house in a sensitive location. At Radlett, the site already had permission for a replacement house. Rather than starting again, we redesigned the house within that consent through a variation of condition.
Design
Our new houses are contemporary but calm: generous, light-filled spaces, natural materials, precise detailing and a close connection between inside and out. We design the interiors alongside the architecture, so the house is conceived as a whole. At Totteridge Common, that meant designing the lighting, audio-visual systems, joinery and kitchen as well as the house itself.
We also design the landscape and outbuildings with the house. In Shropshire, the existing nineteenth-century house became guest accommodation, and the new house sits further into the site, reached by a sweeping drive alongside a long reflecting pond.
Performance
Our new houses are designed to use as little energy as possible. We typically specify a highly insulated, airtight external fabric to keep heat losses low, air source or ground source heat pumps for heating and hot water, and mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR) to provide fresh air without losing warmth. The result is a house that is comfortable all year round and economical to run.
Our Role
On most new houses, we act as Lead Consultant. We are your main point of contact throughout the project. We help you appoint the wider team, including structural and services engineers, a quantity surveyor and specialist consultants, and we coordinate their work so the design is resolved as a whole.
We can also act as Principal Designer, a role now required by law on almost every project. Under the Building Regulations, the Principal Designer plans, manages and monitors the design so that, if built as designed, the house complies with the Building Regulations. Under the CDM Regulations 2015, the Principal Designer manages health and safety during the design stages. We agree these appointments clearly with you at the start of the project.
Building the house
Once planning is secured, we produce the detailed drawings and specifications needed for tender and construction. During construction we visit site regularly, check the work against the drawings and resolve questions as they arise. The architect you meet at the start stays with you through to completion.
Sustainable and Thoughtful Design
We are passionate about creating contemporary new build homes that are not only beautifully designed but also future focused. We integrate energy efficient technologies, low carbon construction methods and environmentally responsible materials into every stage of the design and construction process.
From high performance insulation and renewable energy systems to smart home technology and passive design strategies, our aim is to reduce environmental impact while enhancing comfort, efficiency and long term value. The result is a new home that does not just look exceptional, it actively contributes to a more sustainable way of living.
Discover how sustainability informs our wider approach to residential architecture.
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Whether you are envisioning a contemporary suburban family home, a replacement urban retreat, or an entirely new country estate, Gregory Phillips Architects can deliver an outstanding new home that reflects your vision.
See our selected projects