Architectural design for Chichester homes

The city walls are a starting point, not a design formula

Georgian and earlier buildings within the Roman walls include listed properties. Victorian and Edwardian homes surround the centre, with later twentieth-century estates to the north and east. The age of a house gives useful context, but the arrangement you have inherited and the alterations already made also belong in the brief.

List the features that make the property appealing before describing the rooms you want to improve. A distinctive frontage and an inconvenient interior need considering together. Our plans and elevations can communicate the inside arrangement alongside the visible changes, rather than treating appearance and accommodation as unrelated decisions.

Different designations address different surroundings

Chichester District Council is the local planning authority, while the north of the district includes land within the South Downs National Park. The city centre's conservation area is relevant to its historic character. Chichester Harbour is a protected National Landscape, bringing another context for properties in the harbour setting.

These designations should be checked for the actual site. A house described as near Chichester may not share all the considerations of a property inside the walls or beside the harbour. Include the full address and any designation information in your enquiry. That allows the planning application work to be discussed in relation to the correct surroundings.

Villages and suburbs call for individual briefs

The harbour villages have older cottages and larger detached homes. Bosham and Fishbourne therefore offer a different building context from a later estate house in the city. Tell us how the property sits on its plot, which elevations are prominent and which existing rooms are the reason for seeking a change.

If additional accommodation is the aim, the pages for Chichester extensions and Chichester loft design deal with those possibilities separately. For a project whose layout is difficult to picture, 3D visual drawings can support the conversation. The choice of drawing stage should follow the questions you need answered.

An enquiry should locate the building clearly

We cover nearby Bosham, Fishbourne, Emsworth, Tangmere and Selsey. Send the practice your details with available photographs or plans and a description of the intended changes. Mention any earlier council discussion so it can be considered alongside the new brief. Lee can talk through the design needs without requiring you to choose an external style or complete a planning assessment before making contact.

Frequently asked questions