James Wells Architects - Chichester

John M.

Having bought a tired sixties house which needed a serious rethink to give us more efficient use of space, we needed the inspiration of a good architect. James came highly recommended and the transformation has been phenomenal.
James and his team listened carefully to our thoughts and needs, and were sympathetic to our views through the iterative process of design, resulting in detailed plans right down to the choice of light fittings and plumbing. Our builder was able to reproduce James’s designs and, together with the structural engineer made an effective team. The whole process was remarkably stress free.
We join the many who wholeheartedly recommend James Wells for your architect needs!

Tricia D.

In 2022, James and his team designed a 2 storey extension for our listed farmhouse. His brief was to create a timeless design to include an open kitchen diner, guest suite, 1 further bedroom and a family bathroom. His knowledge of planning, especially of listed and heritage buildings was very helpful. James has a very calm and courteous manner and was a pleasure to work with. The sympathetic design meant we had our plans approved on first attempt which was a great relief and which has secured the future of this heritage building as a family home.

Suzanne B.

Working with James was great - he came onto our project during the construction phase which was very challenging as he had to work with someone else's design and make it all come together. We really enjoyed working with James and his team - they are patient, thorough and innovative. Highly recommend!

edward K.

James and Maria did a first class job on a complex, top to bottom renovation of a very dilapidated Georgian home that now looks terrific. An expert, very personable experience with great advice and knowledge on planning considerations. We look forward to working with them on additional projects.

Richard L.

The team at JWA did a great job for us with our listed property prior to and during a very extensive renovation. Whilst keeping the character of the building they helped us get a more efficient house and the result was a beautiful home.
I would highly recommend JWA.

A. B.

James Wells, with his colleague Mariya Krasteva, designed an almost total internal rebuild of our house near Chichester. It was completed in 2021and we are thrilled with the outcome.

We scratched our heads for a couple of years about the rather dark and labyrinthine house we’d taken on a few years earlier. Reaching the stage when we couldn’t face another winter without the prospect of more light, it was move or rebuild. We contacted James Wells to seek an opinion about the potential for the house to be re-organised to let in light and open out the space: we had some ideas but just couldn’t see how they could work.

James very quickly, skilfully and creatively found an inspired key to unlocking our puzzle, and the sense of being stuck gave way to a process of transforming what was a rather ordinary 1980s flint and brick house into something unique, full of light, space and tranquility. We now have a place which completely fits us and our uses for it, focused around food, music-making, sociability as well as contemplative privacy, a separate client-facing space for working from home, and a lovely sense of light and movement flowing through between our smallish gardens at front and back.

The house feels open, warm and inviting, yet safe and private. We feel connected to the outside, the lane and the village, at the same time as feeling very contained within the house. Everyone who comes in loves it: just being in the space in itself becomes a way of enjoying time with people.

James was extremely helpful in guiding our navigation through planning permission, surveyors, structural engineers, and finding building contractors. His balance of hands-on involvement, and delegation to us and our builders, with an eye to containing costs, was perfectly judged. James helped to match-make us with builders who were a joy to work with, and it became a creative collaboration. Decisions about finish and style emerged from a to-ing and fro-ing between dreams and reality, and three-way conversations between us, the builders, and the architects, produced achievable possibilities which seemed much more than the sum of their parts.

The impact of the architecture of the spaces we inhabit is profound. Living in a well-designed space full of light, life, beauty, tranquility, and creativity, has changed every moment of every day we live here.

Sean W.

James Wells did a great job for me on a refurbishment project in 2018. The job involved new electrics, lighting, plumbing, heating, kitchen, bathrooms. He did the design, managed planning, sourced the builders, helped source fittings and made sure everything was on track each week through the year's work. It all went very well and I am delighted with the result.

Adam B.

Would be very wary of engaging JWA.

- when we initiated the project with JWA - we made it clear at the outset what our budget was (inclusive of VAT and fit out).
- JWA proceeded to draw up plans accordingly - and reverted with a scheme that we we visually approved - and we went into and subsequently got planning for the scheme.
- JWA then started to introduce builders and it became immediately apparent that the schemes costs were hopelessly beyond our budget. Quotes from builders started at 60% higher than our budget
- the scheme was re-drawn , with many of the design details removed / reduced - and again we went back into planning - the whole process taking a further 3 years.
It has become apparent that once the project was reduced in scale / cost, we could have done the scheme as a 'garage conversion' and not needed to go through the lengthy planning process, costs and approvals. This option was never provided to us by JWA.
This project was all about what JWA wanted to design and not what we could afford. JW wanted the vainglory of a design - and he set about designing a project that we would magic the extra funds needed.