Kensington architects

Estimated reading time: 10 minutes

Author: Becky Wootton, Architect BArch (Hons) DipArch

ARB registration no. 085383F

Becky is an associate at Architecture for London and she also leads our construction teams. She has direct oversight of site progress, ensuring design quality and low-energy strategies are carried through to each completed home.

Contact me: 020 3951 9790

Introduction

Our Kensington architects design and deliver bespoke homes, extensions and heritage refurbishments across the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.

The borough is notable for its historic architecture, with 35 conservation areas and over 3,800 listed buildings. Architecture for London specialises in the refurbishment of such sensitive properties, and we have extensive experience in securing planning consent in RBKC, including for basements, mews houses, loft conversions and rear extensions.

For further information, see our recent planning approvals in Kensington and Chelsea.

Planning permission in Kensington

Kensington and Chelsea has a unique built environment with many historic buildings. Uniform terraces and garden squares create a consistent character, and much of the Royal Borough’s planning policy design guidance focuses on respecting and enhancing this historic character.

Due to the heritage context, planning applications will often require a heritage assessment to be submitted alongside the design & access statement. Other supporting documents are likely to include daylight and sunlight assessments, tree surveys, impact assessments and a planning statement. These must demonstrate that any proposed design is appropriate for its context.

Planning in Kensington conservation areas

With our house extension and refurbishment at Brewster Gardens, North Kensington, planning consent was achieved for a contemporary rear extension to a terraced property in a conservation area. The extension features a frameless glass picture window and sliding oak-framed doors to the garden.

At Christchurch Street, we excavated a basement underneath a detached Edwardian house, creating a swimming pool, gym and underground car parking.

Our Kensington architects are familiar with the details of the borough’s Local Plan and Core Strategy documents, particularly in relation to conservation and design.

Loft conversions and mansards in Kensington

Extensions and conservatories should respect the host building. The design should draw inspiration from the surrounding context and character. This does not, however, mean that an extension must be traditional in style if the host building is traditional.

The design may be contemporary, yet influenced by the proportion and materials of a traditional host building.

Our Kensington architects design house extensions in a careful and sympathetic manner. When this is achieved, the extension has the potential to improve the quality and character of the building, and the council is more likely to support alterations. Rear extensions should normally respect the building line of any neighbouring properties.

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Contact us now on 020 3637 4236 for a 30-minute telephone consultation to discuss your project.

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Roof alterations, loft conversions and additional storeys should be sympathetic to the age and design of the property. Materials should be carefully selected due to the visibility of alterations at this level.

RBKC may allow additional storeys and roof alterations where the character of a terrace has been compromised by previous roof extensions. Roof extensions are likely to be approved where infilling improves the composition of the surrounding buildings.

The borough will resist additional storeys and roof level alterations on:

• complete terraces or groups of buildings where the existing roof line is unimpaired by extensions (or have only isolated extensions)
• buildings that have an existing additional storey or mansard
• properties that include a roof structure of architectural interest
• buildings that are higher than the surrounding properties
• terraces where the roof line alterations may impact longer views from public spaces
• mansion blocks where an additional storey might affect the architectural composition
  
  

Interior Design in Kensington

We provide a complete architecture and interior design service, from early space planning and concept development through to specification, detailing, and on-site coordination.

Our interior designers understand how to work with historic period buildings, preserving their character while upgrading them for contemporary life.

Our Kensington interior design projects often include:

• Space planning and layout optimisation to make existing floor plans work harder.
• Kitchen and bathroom design with carefully detailed joinery and durable, natural materials.
• Bespoke joinery for wardrobes, libraries, media units, and storage walls.
• Lighting design that layers ambient, task, and accent light to suit day and night use.
• Material and finishes specifications, including flooring, stone, tiles, hardware, and ironmongery.
• Furniture, window treatments, and styling to complete the scheme.

Alterations to listed buildings

Smaller scale listed building alterations

Smaller alterations to listed buildings are often supported in RBKC; these may include improvements to accessibility and the removal of unsympathetic previous interventions. Improvement works may involve removing alarms, cameras, shutters and other intrusive security equipment. The removal of HVAC equipment and unsightly or outdated signage is also encouraged. Approval must be obtained from RBKC for most of these scenarios, unless the work is considered a like-for-like repair.

Larger scale listed building alterations

For larger-scale listed building applications, a full architect’s drawing set, heritage assessment and design segments will be required. Each application for a listed building will be assessed on its own merits. This means that RBKC is not obliged to take into account any relevant precedent projects in the immediate area.

Mews houses in Kensington

Kensington’s mews streets are some of the most sought-after residential addresses in London, with compact properties arranged around quiet cobbled lanes behind the main terraces. These homes often began life as stables and coach houses and now present unique opportunities for carefully considered refurbishment and extension.

Our Kensington architects have extensive experience working with mews houses in RBKC, navigating the tight urban grain, overlooked conditions and conservation policies that typically apply. We design to make the most of every square metre, improving natural light, storage and circulation while respecting the character of the original building and streetscape.

Typical works to Kensington mews houses include:

• Reconfiguring internal layouts to create open-plan living spaces at ground floor level.

• Adding or enlarging rooflights and internal voids to bring daylight into the centre of deep floor plates.

• Introducing highly efficient insulation, glazing and services to upgrade thermal performance.

• Designing bespoke joinery for storage, kitchens and staircases to maximise usable space.

• Subtle facade alterations that preserve the rhythm and proportion of the mews elevation.

Because many mews streets sit within conservation areas, small external changes can require careful negotiation with the local authority. We prepare detailed design and heritage information to support planning and, where relevant, listed building consent, helping clients unlock the full potential of their Kensington mews homes.

The architecture of Kensington

Kensington was first developed with large, suburban houses with generous grounds during the Georgian period. Subsequently, the majority of these properties were demolished to make way for a much tighter grain of terraces during the Victorian era. Stucco combined with red or London stock brick are prominent finishes.

Some Georgian streets and squares remain, including Kensington Square and Campden Hill Square.

Holland House was one of the first grand estates in the borough, dating from the early 17th Century. The grounds originally stretched from Earls Court to Holland Park Avenue. Unfortunately, the house was largely destroyed during World War II, with the remains surviving in what is now Holland Park.

Also notable from the 17th Century is architect Christopher Wren’s Kensington Palace, which was subsequently extended in the following centuries. Most recently, it has benefited from a £11 million refurbishment.

Aside from classical buildings, Kensington is home to a number of post-war modernist buildings. Perhaps most notable is Erno Goldfinger’s Grade II listed brutalist housing scheme, Trellick Tower, which stands to the north of Portobello Road.

Other recent Architecture for London projects in RBKC include rear extensions and basements in:

• Ladbroke Grove and North Kensington W10
• Notting Hill W11
• West Kensington
• Holland Park W8
• West Brompton SW5
• Chelsea SW3
• Knightsbridge SW7

Talk to our Kensington architects


Contact our team on 020 3637 4236 to discuss your project in Kensington or Chelsea, or send us details of your home and we’ll arrange a consultation. Alternatively, visit our residential projects page to view our completed homes in RBKC.