Giles Architects - Winchester

Mark K.

Collaborating with Giles Architects over recent years has been a rewarding experience. It is clear that they prioritise understanding the homeowner's vision, which allows us to create structural solutions that enhance both functionality and aesthetics. I wholeheartedly recommend them for any renovation or new build project!

Paula B.

We were introduced to Giles Architects through recommendation. The architectural and management service provided by Alex and his team have been totally outstanding throughout our challenging New Build project. From our first initial meeting with Alex we could clearly see his passion, knowledge and enthusiasm which proved invaluable.

Being in a conversation area, amongst Grade 2 listed buildings with special architectural interest/history, our project needed to be designed and planned not only to best suit our requirements but also those of the planners. We were blown away by their commitment and the attention to detail shown on the amazing drawings provided.

Their expertise and guidance in cleverly incorporating a basement within our build to provide an additional bedroom was exceptional. Using your Eco-friendly approach including rainwater harvesting, a partial green roof, ventilation, natural light and an air source heat pump has proven to be extremely useful and cost effective.

They have been very much hands-on with communication with a friendly approach and have worked closely with all parties throughout the entire new build.

We would highly recommend Giles Architect – total commitment, professional, so easy to work with and it has been an absolute pleasure working with you all. Thank you.

paul G.

Giles Architects produced a scheme and negotiated with our Local Planning Authority for a replacement building, after our Village Recreation Ground Pavilion was destroyed by fire. They produced a scheme which met all of our needs and were very responsive to all our queries.

John W. B.

Having lost our house in a fire, we had neither expected nor desired to build a house. We did some research and spoke to architects before meeting with three to discuss our options. We chose Alex because he listened really carefully to our ideas and asked thoughtful questions that we would need to consider. He then produced a range of creative suggestions, all of which met the brief and were beyond what we could have hoped for.
We wanted a house that would be energy efficient to run and maintain, with ASHP and solar panels whilst fitting into an AONB, yet not be a stereotypical house of the area.
As the design progressed, it really felt that his terrific vision and eye for details and style were giving us the chance to build something that really suited the location and would be wonderful to live in. Alex and Jacob were always on hand to discuss and develop ideas and adaptions. Their service and commitment were beyond reasonable expectations and were a key factor in keeping to the build schedule.
Alex and Jacob led us through the planning process, which was a minefield all of its own, yet they knew how to resolve planning issues and what was required at each step. Not easy when the planning officers contradict each other!
Alex introduced us to a building company (Coleman Building Company) that he worked seamlessly with so that we never had any issues between builder and architect. He also introduced us to unusual materials such as iron sinewave roofing and zinc raised seam roofing with flexible solar panels attached.
Alex and Jacob worked extraordinarily hard to keep within our budget and offered solutions and alternatives to keep costs under control.
We have moved in now and the house is an absolute joy to live in as the layout works so well. We have also had many unsolicited compliments about the design and how well it suits the location and for its originality.
We would unreservedly recommend Alex and Jacob. We lost a very precious home and they have helped us create a home that we can love and cherish again.

Bruce M.

Fully recommend Giles for New Builds or extensions in Hampshire. Easy to work with and handled the planning process very seamlessly.

jenny W.

Alex helped us to design a beautiful garden room to maximise the views from our property. He had great ideas for dealing with the slope of the plot and was really good at working to our brief whilst also adding in design feature suggestions of his own which helped us so much to achieve our vision. He was really responsive to our queries and also worked within deadlines. He handled the whole planning process for us taking all of that stress away and it felt like in no time at all planning had been approved and we could start work. I have absolutely no hesitation in recommending Alex.

Conor M.

Giles Architects were fantastic from our initial meeting to project completion. At our first meeting Alex listened tentatively to what we were hoping to achieve and we were amazed when we received their proposal the following day at how much of the detail we had spoken about was included in that. It was this attention to detail that made us choose Giles Architects to design our new home. We had several designs drawn up that covered different floor plans and exterior looks. These also gave us options when it came to the budget. They took on board our ideas but also gave us lots of fresh ones and made us look at the project in a new light several times. This was extremely helpful, as like most people, this was a process that was new to us. We never felt that we were having anything imposed on us however and everything was collaborative. Once we had a strong idea of which direction we wanted to go in, Alex suggested that we should submit a Preplanning Application as our property is in the South Downs and and the planning office there are notoriously fickle. I cannot speak highly enough about the document that Alex put together for this. In fact, on our first meeting with the South Downs planning officer commented that it was extremely rare for them to receive a Design and Access statement of such high quality and it had in fact made her job so much easier. This put us on a great footing with the planning office and throughout the whole process of the planning and build stages, Alex's rapport with the planning office was excellent and undoubtedly helped us achieve what we required. Throughout the build Giles Architects were always accessible and worked very well with the contractor and engineers involved. They were adaptable when they had to be but never lost sight of the final goal and always showed the greatest interest in achieving the best home they could for us. As you can probably tell, we could not recommend Giles Architects highly enough.

George B.

Alex was recommended to us by a friend, and I would certainly recommend him (and have!) to anyone else!

Alex helped us design an a side and rear extension to our kitchen/dining room and introduced subtle design proposals which really lifted and enhanced our idea of what the space could be. He coordinated seamlessly with our structural engineer to produce robust and detailed drawings for our builders to price accurately and efficiently. Alex also took the lead on all planning matters, submitting all necessary details for the planning process.

Alex was always at the end of the phone or an email to provide an update on planning, design, or answer a quick we may have had.

It was a pleasure to work with Alex, and as others have said, we have no hesitation in highly recommending him and his services.