Architecture services for London homes
Studio CMA helps London homeowners improve period and existing homes through renovation, extension, retrofit and architectural interiors.
We work with homeowners planning meaningful changes to the way their homes feel, perform and support everyday life. That might mean extending a family home, reworking an awkward layout, improving comfort and energy use, or bringing kitchens, bathrooms, storage, lighting and materials into a more coherent whole.
Our role is to help you make these changes carefully. We bring together architecture, retrofit intelligence, natural materials and a clear process, so decisions about space, light, comfort, energy, budget and construction are considered together.
Whether you are just starting to explore what is possible or ready to move towards a larger project, we can help you understand the right route forward.
What We Offer
Our services support London homeowners at different stages of improving a period or existing home.
Some clients come to us because they are ready to renovate, extend or reconfigure. Others are still working out what is realistic, whether retrofit should be part of the project, or how interiors, materials and everyday use should be resolved.
The right route depends on where you are in the process and what your home needs.
Full Architectural Service
Renovations, extensions, reconfigurations and larger home projects guided from early ideas through design, planning and construction.
Architectural Interiors
Kitchens, bathrooms, joinery, storage, lighting and materials considered as part of the wider home.
Retrofit architectural services
For defined retrofit-led projects that need design development, coordination, specification, consultant input or builder-ready information, so upgrades are properly integrated into the home.
Not sure where to start?
Many clients begin with an Architect’s Home Visit & Appraisal. It helps you test your brief, understand the main opportunities and constraints, and make sure the project starts in the right direction.
If the project is clearly retrofit-led but the retrofit direction still needs defining, the Retrofit Strategy Service helps clarify the ambition, options, risks and phasing before design or construction decisions are made.
Full Architectural Service
Renovations, extensions and reconfigurations, guided from early ideas to construction
If you are planning a larger change to your home, you need more than drawings. You need a clear route through the decisions that shape cost, planning, design quality and construction.
Our Full Architectural Service is for homeowners planning renovations, extensions, reconfigurations and larger home projects that need a fuller design and delivery process. We help you understand what is possible, develop the design, prepare the information needed for planning and construction, and guide the project through the key stages.
This is where whole-house thinking matters most. An extension affects light in the original rooms. A new kitchen affects storage, circulation and services. Insulation affects ventilation and moisture. We help these decisions work together, so the finished home feels coherent rather than pieced together.
This may include:
Early briefing, feasibility and design options
Planning applications and conservation area advice
Developed design, layouts, materials and key details
Technical drawings and information for builders
Tender support, contractor selection and construction-stage guidance
Ideal for:
Homeowners planning a renovation, extension, reconfiguration or larger home project who want careful design thinking carried through from the first ideas to the build.
Not sure where to start?
Many clients begin with an Architect’s Home Visit & Appraisal: a structured first step that helps you test the brief, understand the main opportunities and constraints, and make sure the project starts in the right direction.
Architectural Interiors
Kitchens, bathrooms, joinery and materials considered as part of the whole home
Interiors are not just the final layer of a project. They shape how your home works every day: where things are stored, how rooms feel, how light is used and how materials come together.
Our Architectural Interiors service focuses on the parts of the home where design decisions become most personal and practical. Kitchens, bathrooms, joinery, storage, lighting and finishes are considered alongside the architecture, not added at the end.
This helps create rooms that feel calmer, more useful and more coherent. The aim is not decoration for its own sake. It is to make the spaces you use every day feel better resolved, easier to live in and more connected to the rest of the home.
This may include:
Kitchen, bathroom and utility layouts
Bespoke joinery, storage and fitted furniture
Lighting, switches and everyday use of rooms
Natural materials, finishes and colour palettes
Coordination between interiors, architecture and construction details
Ideal for:
Homeowners who want the inside of their home to feel calm, practical and carefully resolved, with materials, storage, lighting and details designed as part of the wider architectural thinking.
Retrofit architectural services
Warmer, healthier, lower-energy homes, upgraded with care
Older homes can often be made warmer, healthier and less wasteful to run, but retrofit decisions need to be made in the right order. Insulation, windows, ventilation, airtightness and heating all affect one another.
Many projects are designed around minimum building regulations compliance. Retrofit needs a more joined-up benchmark. Before choosing products or construction details, it helps to define what the home is being improved towards: a recognised standard, better comfort, lower energy use, healthier air, safer moisture management, sensible phasing or a clearer long-term outcome.
Our retrofit architectural services are for homeowners who want an existing home to feel better and perform better: warmer in winter, cooler in summer, healthier to live in, lower-carbon and less wasteful to run.
Where the retrofit direction is already broadly understood, we help develop the design, coordinate the right information and describe the work clearly for consultants, builders or future phases. The aim is to make the upgrades work together, so the home becomes more comfortable, resilient and future-proofed without creating new problems.
This may include:
retrofit design for period and existing homes
insulation, ventilation, windows and airtightness advicemoisture-safe detailing for solid-wall and older buildings
energy, comfort and performance targets considered together
coordination with consultants, builders or specialist input where needed
specifications, details or builder-ready information for retrofit-led works
retrofit design integrated into renovation, extension or whole-home projects
Ideal for:
Homeowners with a defined retrofit-led project who want to make an existing or period home warmer, healthier, more comfortable and lower-energy, while avoiding piecemeal upgrades that do not work well together.
Starter route:
If the retrofit direction is not yet clear, many clients begin with the Retrofit Strategy Service. This defines the right retrofit direction before major design or construction decisions are made, including the ambition, options, risks and phasing, whether the aim is a recognised standard, a comfort-led upgrade or an outcome-led strategy.
Not sure what the right next step is?
If you are thinking about a renovation, extension, retrofit or interiors project, you do not need to have everything worked out before getting in touch.
You may be ready for a full architectural service, or you may need a smaller first step, such as a Home Visit Appraisal or Retrofit Strategy. You may simply need help understanding what would be most useful to look at next.
Tell us a little about your home, what you are hoping to change and where you are in the process. We will help you understand the most useful next step.
Common Questions About Our Services
Choosing the right route is not always obvious at the start. These questions explain how our services fit together and what kind of support may be right for your project.
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Not every home project needs a full architectural service. The right level of support depends on what you are changing, how clear the brief is and how much planning, technical design or coordination the project requires.
If you are considering an extension, substantial renovation, retrofit or major internal reworking, architectural input can help you understand the options before cost and design decisions become difficult to change.
If you are unsure what level of help you need, submit a Project Enquiry and we can suggest the most appropriate route.
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If you are still trying to understand what is possible, what is sensible or where to start, the Architect’s Home Visit & Appraisal is often the best first step. It gives you early strategic advice before you commit to a fuller design process.
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Not always. Some clients are ready to move directly into the Full Architectural Service. Others need an earlier appraisal first, especially if the brief, budget, scope or planning position is unclear.
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We typically work on residential new builds, extensions, whole-house refurbishments, and energy-efficient retrofits. Most of our clients are homeowners or small developers looking for design-led, sustainable solutions.
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Yes. Extension projects are usually delivered through our Full Architectural Service, because a good extension affects the whole home, not just the new space. It can change light, layout, structure, heating, ventilation, storage, garden connection and how the original rooms feel.
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Yes. Many of our projects bring architecture and retrofit thinking together. This is particularly useful in older homes, where insulation, ventilation, moisture, heating, layout and materials need to work as one connected strategy.
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The Retrofit Strategy Service is usually the first step when a retrofit-led project needs its direction, ambition, phasing, options and risks defined.
Retrofit architectural services are follow-on design support for defined retrofit-led projects. They help turn the agreed direction into coordinated design information, specifications, consultant input or builder-ready details.
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Yes. We manage planning applications, pre-application advice, and listed building consent where required.
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Yes. Much of our work is with period and existing homes in London, including homes in conservation areas. These projects often need careful decisions about character, planning, materials, energy performance and long-term building fabric.
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Fees depend on the type of project, the level of service and the complexity of the work. A smaller appraisal, retrofit strategy or interiors brief will be different from a full architectural service for a major renovation or extension. The right starting point is usually a Discovery Call, so we can understand what you are trying to achieve.
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We offer contract administration and on-site support as part of our full architectural service. This includes monitoring quality, answering site queries, and ensuring the build reflects the design intent. We guide you through the build process with clarity and care.
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Yes. We regularly collaborate with skilled contractors—especially those experienced in sensitive retrofits and energy-efficient homes. We’ll guide you through the tender process and help you choose the right fit based on quality, value, and trust.
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Absolutely. Whether it's your preferred contractor or one we recommend, we’re happy to collaborate. Our role is to ensure a clear scope, quality workmanship, and a smooth process from design through delivery. So regardless of how confident you are in your builder, we’ll still interview them and give you our honest opinion.
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A design and build company usually combines design and construction under one provider. That can suit some projects, but it can also make it harder to separate design advice from construction pricing.
Studio CMA acts as your architect and adviser. Our role is to help you define the brief, make informed decisions, prepare clear information and support the quality of the design before and during construction.
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Book a discovery call with us using the contact form or email us directly. We’ll have an informal conversation to learn more about your project, discuss timelines, and explain how we can help. There’s no obligation—it’s just a good place to begin.