“From my mishmash of ideas, cuttings and wish lists, Simon brought the magic! The project involved knocking down an old L-shaped kitchen extension (poly carbon roofed nightmare) and completely stripping back and reconfiguring the space to add a shower room and new kitchen/lounge extension. The new addition is a contemporary nod to the house’s 30’s roots - and has filled the house with light. My home has been taken to another level with a design that brought function, beauty and wit. The team at Simon Whitehead Architects were great, Simon is brilliant, and I cannot recommend them highly enough.”
“With Simons great relationship with the Dulwich Estate we were able to obtain the planning permission without many of the stresses and strains that come with it, great work!”
Michael, Dulwich
“I have worked with Simon Whitehead on a number of projects in recent years and am always impressed by his energy, commercial acumen and speed of response”
John - London
“Simon Whitehead Architects was brought in to work with one of our largest Institutional clients as we knew we would get a service that would equal that working with an international firm. The work undertaken was thorough and innovative and we were introduced to a specialist planning advisor for the area which saved us time and money”
“We had a very clear idea of what we wanted – I’m not sure whether that made us an easy client or a difficult client! That being said, Simon is very adept at gently incorporating design ideas and amendments from his experience of designing for growing families that definitely improved the scheme. Six months on from moving back in and we still love our new house and wouldn’t change a thing, which says it all.”
“We are so pleased that we used Simon for the complete renovation of our home. We wanted to create a family friendly kitchen and living space that was modern but that flowed well with the existing house, avoiding a 'box at the back'. Simon listened to what we wanted to achieve and developed this further to suggest things we hadn't thought about, but which have made all the difference. He gave considered and helpful advice on what would work well from a practical, living, perspective without compromising on style and design. We absolutely love the result and would highly recommend him.”
“We had a major kitchen done. Knocked down the end and sides of the building, flat roof wrap-around, glass panel inserted into the roof.
It was a pretty big project but it was actually reasonably pain-free and that was in large part down to Simon. He’s very, very good and as neither I nor my wife have any particularly strong design eye he was excellent at doing it all for us.”
“We completely restructured or flat. Stripping it right back and starting again. We wanted to modernise whilst re capturing some of the original features of this historic Bermondsey warehouse. Simon and his team did a brilliant job helping us to achieve exactly what we wanted. We would highly recommend Simon whitehead Architects.”
“It is a pleasure to write a reference for Simon Whitehead Architects, who has successfully overseen two projects for me and is about to embark on the third. He has worked for us for nearly 3 years now.
Simon provided an excellent, reliable and responsive service throughout our building works, always reacting promptly and effectively to our many queries. he has been quick to understand the practical and aesthetic needs of our projects and to ‘tune in’ to our vision. Our meetings were efficiently and fastidiously documented and third parties were dealt with effectively. He guided us through the complexities of a difficult planning application as well as other bureaucracy, which is often difficult for those not accustomed to such things.”
“Simon’s thoroughly professional service helped enormously and made possible what was a difficult restoration/renovation project that involved creating a 21st century home from a 450 year old listed building. Simon’s practice provided considered and innovative ideas, careful project management and, in the process, the all important reassurance and confidence clients need to deal with what can be, and usually is, a stressful undertaking! His advice and guidance was a major factor in achieving a successful result.”
“Having worked with Simon Whitehead Architects over the last 4 years I’ve been very impressed by the work. Design, Technical and Management have all been of a high standard. I’m delighted to find a young practice of this calibre.”
Anthony Furlong - Chairman at London Real Estate Advisors & Past President of the City Property Association
“What follows is pretty much an unqualified hymn of praise, so it’s probably important to note upfront that prior to working on my property I had no connection with SWA at all, and – other than this project – I have none now. What I expected when I appointed an architect was for someone to draw up what I wanted; to get it through planning and then to hand over the project to the builders who would make it a reality. What I got was something very different. Simon is highly creative. I could tell him what I wanted to achieve, and he would understand wholly, and then invariably come up with a far superior creative solution. This applied throughout the process, whether in drawing up the original plans or in then choosing fixtures and fittings once the plan was agreed. His commitment to the whole creative process of house design is therefore absolute. And his knowledge is as wide-ranging as his thinking and ideas. Simon is a demon on detail. He has an eye on every angle, every fitment and every discipline, with exacting and helpful views on all aspects of building. But this attention to detail extends beyond the project and into the management of the project. His detailed minutes of every meeting, for instance, have actually been vital to the final success of the project. Simon cares about the project and also about the client. I went through four months’ of building work, and was unnaturally stressed from about month three. During that time, I would mostly speak to Simon daily, and he was always either available to talk or prompt to return calls. I rather think that I was close to being the Client From Hell at times, but Simon’s careful shepherding always saved the day. And Simon is a nice chap. Which helps. What could he do to improve? Well I still don’t understand his invoicing system, (and I don’t know if he does either). But I do know that the costs were accurate, and – far more importantly – worth every single penny. I do not begrudge one pound of the money I spent with SWA : I think in fact I got far more than my money’s worth. So it’s a great pleasure to write this reference.”
