Do I need an architect for a house extension in London?

While it's not a legal requirement, working with a qualified architectural designer ensures your project meets building regulations, maximises your planning approval chances, and avoids costly mistakes.

How much does it cost to hire an architect in London?

A simple rear extension design starts from £800 + VAT. Double storey extensions from £1,000 + VAT. Loft conversions from £800 + VAT. Salstan offers free consultations and fixed-fee quotes.

How long does the architectural design process take?

A typical residential project takes around 4 weeks from initial consultation to planning submission. Planning decisions usually take 8 weeks for householder applications. Technical drawings take an additional 5-7 working days after planning approval.

Do you offer a design and build service?

Yes. Salstan is a full-service, turnkey practice. We manage projects from initial concept through to completed construction, including architecture, structural engineering, and building works - all under one roof.

What areas of London do you cover?

We cover all 33 London boroughs from our offices in Park Royal and Teddington. We also work across Hertfordshire, Surrey, Essex, Kent, and other Home Counties.

Can you help if my planning application has been refused?

Yes. We regularly help clients who have received planning refusals. We review the council's reasons for refusal, redesign the scheme to address their concerns, and resubmit or lodge a formal planning appeal where appropriate.

Wraparound Extension · Mansard Loft

Bow Wraparound Extension & Mansard Loft

Bow, East London

Location

Bow, East London

Property

Victorian terraced house

Project type

Wraparound extension, mansard loft and full renovation

Setting

Conservation area

The House and the Brief

This Victorian terraced house in Bow sits within a conservation area and had been left in poor condition. The rooms were dark and poorly arranged, the hallway was narrow and gloomy, and damp had worked its way into the walls.

Our clients wanted a family home with room to cook, work and settle in. The brief covered a wraparound kitchen extension, a mansard loft dormer above the old butterfly roof, full remodelling of every floor and a proper face lift for the front of the house.

Before & After

As We Found It

Drag across each image to compare the house before and after the works.

Front elevation of the house in Bow after the works — Front elevation

Front elevation of the house in Bow before the works — Front elevation

Rear of the house in Bow after the works — Rear and garden

Rear of the house in Bow before the works — Rear and garden

Entrance hall after the works — Entrance hall

Entrance hall before the works — Entrance hall

Front reception room after the works — Front reception

Front reception room before the works — Front reception

Design Approach

A Front That Respects the Street

In a conservation area, the street elevation had to be handled with care. We fitted new sash windows within white surrounds, replaced the low brick wall with black iron railings and gave the house a deep green panelled front door. The new mansard is set back behind the parapet, so from the pavement it reads as a quiet addition to the roofline.

A Ground Floor Built Around the Kitchen

At the back, the wraparound extension fills the side return and pushes into the garden, turning a cramped rear into one long kitchen, dining and living room. Large rooflights and black framed glazing pull daylight deep into a floor that had very little. Terrazzo worktops, oak cabinetry and patterned floor tiles give the kitchen its retro character.

The front rooms became a snug and a reception, joined by oak pocket doors, with herringbone oak steps leading down to the extension. A small WC tiled in a geometric cube pattern sets the tone for the bathrooms upstairs.

A Mansard Above the Butterfly Roof

The original butterfly roof gave the house no usable space at the top. Replacing it with a mansard loft dormer added a full storey, with a double bedroom, fitted wardrobes, a built-in desk and its own ensuite. Below it, the first floor was replanned around double bedrooms and a family bathroom with a freestanding bath and terrazzo floor.