Full Architectural Service for London Home Renovations
For substantial renovations, extensions and whole-home projects that need joined-up design, planning, technical information and construction-stage support.
A major home renovation is not just a set of drawings. It is a sequence of connected decisions about space, light, comfort, planning, structure, materials, budget and how the home will be built.
Studio CMA’s Full Architectural Service helps London homeowners move from a defined brief into a fuller design and delivery process. We guide the project through design development, planning, technical information, tendering and, where appointed, construction-stage support.
We work particularly with period and existing homes where careful design, retrofit thinking, natural materials and architectural interiors need to be considered together.
Why a fuller architectural service matters
A substantial home project starts with more than a list of rooms or drawings. It starts with understanding what you want the project to change: how you want to live, what feels difficult now, what you are worried about and what a successful outcome would feel like.
The value of a fuller architectural service is continuity. The early conversations are not lost as the project develops. We understand the brief, develop the design, resolve the details, help prepare the project for pricing and, where appointed, remain involved while it is built.
We enjoy delivering projects, not just designing them. From the earliest ideas, we are thinking about how the project can actually be built: budget, materials, construction, existing-building constraints and the information a builder will eventually need.
That continuity also leaves you with a clearer record of the project: what was designed, why decisions were made and how the home is intended to work. The aim is not simply a successful design. It is a successfully delivered project, with the thinking behind the early decisions carried through into the finished home.
Our process: from concept to use
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1. Explore the design
RIBA Stage 2: Concept Design
We explore the most promising ways to improve your home and test them against your brief, budget, the existing building and planning constraints.
By the end of this stage, you should have an agreed design direction, supported by plans, visual material and an initial understanding of cost and programme.
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2. Resolve the design
RIBA Stage 3: Spatial Coordination
We develop the chosen concept into a coherent design, coordinating the architecture with structure, energy performance, building services and key materials.
Where required, we prepare and manage the planning application before the project moves into technical design.
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3. Prepare for tender
RIBA Stage 4: Technical Design and Tender
We turn the agreed design into coordinated drawings, specifications and schedules that explain what is to be built and how.
We coordinate consultants, address Building Regulations and prepare information that suitable contractors can price consistently.
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4. Build the project
RIBA Stage 5: Construction
The contractor carries out the work.
Where appointed to administer the building contract, we inspect progress, review visible workmanship, respond to queries, assess payments and help resolve issues.
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5. Complete and settle in
RIBA Stages 6–7: Handover and Use
We help bring the building work to completion, identify outstanding items and review their correction.
After you move in, we can help you understand how the home and its systems should be used and identify any adjustments needed.
How other architectural services integrate
Retrofit Architectural Services
For defined retrofit-led projects, our Retrofit Architecture service can provide the follow-on design development, coordination, specification and builder-ready information needed to move from strategy into action.
For larger renovations, extensions or whole-home projects, retrofit thinking can be integrated into the Full Architectural Service. This may include insulation, ventilation, airtightness, windows, heating, overheating, moisture, phasing and natural materials.
Architectural Interiors
Interiors are not decoration added at the end. In a well-considered home, kitchens, bathrooms, utility spaces, joinery, storage, lighting, finishes and material choices affect how the architecture works every day.
These decisions can be integrated into the Full Architectural Service where they affect layout, construction, pricing and daily use. For interiors-led projects, our Architectural Interiors service can provide a more focused route.
Home Visit and Appraisal
Most substantial projects begin with our Home Visit and Appraisal. It helps us understand your home, open up the brief, test what is realistic and identify the best route forward before moving into the Full Architectural Service.
The aim is to clarify ambition, budget, constraints, priorities and risk, so you know what is worth pursuing before the project becomes larger or more expensive.
Full Architectural Service in practice
Victorian Loft Conversion and Family Home Retrofit, Hackney
A recent Hackney family-home project where the Full Architectural Service helped the clients move beyond a standard loft-company solution.
The project began with a careful review of how the house felt to live in, early cost forecasting and energy modelling, before moving into detailed design. The final scheme reconfigured the upper floors, created a compact loft conversion, improved storage and used fabric-first retrofit measures to make the home warmer, calmer and easier to live in.
Victorian Terrace Loft Extension, Islington
What began as a loft extension in the Arlington Square Conservation Area became a phased reworking of a Victorian terrace.
Through the Full Architectural Service, planning strategy, fire safety, circulation, services and future phases were considered together. The result was not just a new master suite, but a calmer and more coherent family home, with the loft, stair, fire doors and services working as part of one connected project.
Why choose Studio CMA
We specialise in London period and existing homes, including Victorian, Edwardian and early twentieth-century properties.
We bring together architecture, retrofit intelligence, architectural interiors and a clear process, so decisions about space, light, comfort, materials, budget and construction are considered together.
Senior team involvement continues throughout the project. You are not handed from one team to another as the work becomes more complex.
We are particularly suited to homeowners who want careful, practical and beautiful changes that improve how the whole home works, without making the project larger than it needs to be.
Start your renovation with a clear route forward
Step 1: Book a Discovery Call
Start with a short online call. We will discuss your home, your priorities, your location and whether Studio CMA is likely to be the right fit.
Book a Discovery Call
Step 2: Begin with an Architect’s Home Visit and Appraisal
Most substantial projects begin with our Architect’s Home Visit and Appraisal.
We visit the property, discuss what is and is not working, review your aims and help identify the main opportunities, constraints, risks and possible routes forward.
Step 3: Move into the Full Architectural Service
Once the project direction is clearer, we can recommend the right level of architectural service.
The Full Architectural Service then carries the agreed project through design, planning, technical information, tendering and, where appointed, construction-stage support.
Or explore our full range of services before you get in touch.
Common Questions About Our Approach
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The Architect’s Home Visit and Appraisal is the first paid stage where we help define the project. We look at the property, your brief, your budget, the main constraints and the best route forward.
The Full Architectural Service begins once the project direction is clearer. It is the route for developing the agreed project through design, planning, technical information, tendering and, where appointed, construction support.
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Most substantial projects begin with an Architect’s Home Visit and Appraisal because it gives us the information needed to understand the scope, risks, budget direction and best route forward.
In some cases, such as a returning client or a very clearly defined project, we may advise a different route. The Discovery Call is the best place to decide this.
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Yes, where planning is part of the agreed scope, we can prepare and submit the planning application.
Planning is not treated as a separate box-ticking exercise. It is part of the design process, especially for period homes, conservation areas, extensions and projects where the relationship between old and new needs careful handling.
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We are not quantity surveyors, but we do take budget seriously throughout the design process.
We help shape the brief and design around a realistic budget direction, use early cost checks where appropriate and prepare clearer information for builder pricing at tender stage. The aim is to reduce avoidable uncertainty before construction decisions become expensive.
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Older homes often reveal issues during construction. Where appointed, we can help respond to builder queries, review details and advise on how changes may affect the design intent, cost and quality of the finished home.
The aim is to help decisions remain joined up, even when the project needs to adapt.
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Studio CMA primarily works with London homeowners, especially in East and North London. We may consider selected projects outside London where the brief is a strong fit for our approach to period homes, retrofit, renovation and thoughtful architectural interiors.