How We Work

Every project is different, but the way we work stays the same: we listen carefully, design with care and stay involved from the first conversation to the finished building. Here is what working with us looks like, whether you are a homeowner planning an extension, a conversion or a new house, or a developer, landlord or business with a site or building.

For Homeowners

1. A free first call. We talk through your ideas, how you use your home and what you would like to achieve.

2. Site visit and survey. We visit the property, arrange a measured survey so the design is based on accurate drawings, and agree a clear brief with you.

3. Design. We sketch out options and develop the preferred design with you until it feels right.

4. Planning. We look at whether your project needs planning permission or may fall under permitted development, then prepare and submit the application. Where a house is listed or in a conservation area, we prepare the extra information the council will expect.

5. Technical design and Building Regulations. Detailed drawings and a specification for Building Regulations approval, which builders can also price from.

6. Builders and site. We can help you get prices from builders and stay involved on site through to completion.

See our house extensions, new builds, conversions and interior design pages for more.

For Developers, Landlords and Businesses

1. A free first call. Tell us about the site or building and what you have in mind.

2. Site appraisal and feasibility. We look at what the site or building can realistically hold and the planning risks and constraints, and set out layout options and floor areas.

3. Planning strategy and application. Pre-application advice where it helps, then a planning application built around the strongest case for the scheme.

4. Technical design and tender. Coordinated drawings and a specification for Building Regulations and for contractors to price, working alongside your engineers and other consultants.

5. Construction and handover. Site inspections and contract administration through to completion, or novation to your contractor on a design and build contract.

See our commercial architects and mixed-use architects pages for more.

Working With Us

We keep things moving at every stage and keep you updated, so you always know where your project stands. You can appoint us for the whole process or for individual stages.

Our Services

We work from the initial design concept to the completion of the building on site. We can also offer contract administration on site and principal designer services as standalone services.

Our design skills and project management abilities ensure that schemes meet their targets for quality, programme and budget. We work on a variety of project types, including both domestic and commercial. Find out more about the work we’ve done and the sectors we work in below:

Private Residential

Our team builds private residential properties to match your dream bespoke design. We design one-off new houses, replacement homes and complete renovations, from contemporary family homes on green belt hillsides to sensitive alterations to period houses. Each home is designed around the site and the way you live, with the interior considered from the start.

Extensions

If you are looking to add more space to your home, our qualified team will exceed your expectations. See recent projects from our house extension architects in Manchester. We design rear, side, wraparound and two-storey extensions, often combined with a new kitchen, a loft conversion or a full renovation. We look at planning and Building Regulations from the outset, including for houses in conservation areas.

Conversions

We offer conversions that maximise your land potential and transform your building. We convert barns, lofts and basements, turn houses and commercial buildings into homes or flats, and rework period houses for modern living, keeping the character of the original building while bringing in light and space.

Mixed Use

Our mixed-use designs suit the needs of your business, whether you need an office space, shop or warehouse. For developers and landowners, we carry out site appraisals and feasibility studies, design homes over shops and workspace, apartment buildings and small housing schemes, and take schemes through planning to completion.

Commercial

Our commercial architects in Manchester work with developers, landlords and businesses on offices, shops, restaurants and hotels, from feasibility and planning to completion. We also review schemes that already have planning permission, design office fit-outs for landlords and tenants, and plan restaurants, bars and cafés from the layout and kitchen to the finished interior.

Interior design

To complement your bespoke exterior, our interior designers can completely transform your living space. We design kitchens, bathrooms, joinery, lighting and finishes for homes, and interiors for offices, shops, restaurants and cafés. Because we are also architects, we can rework the layout itself, not just the decoration.

Talk to Us About Your Project

Call us on 0161 448 0483 or use the button below.

BOOK A FREE CALL

Award-winning project by Andrew Wallace Architects

Testimonials

We wanted to select an architectural practise to enable us to transform our Victorian house into a modern family home. We researched the online portfolios of a number of practises and met with our shortlist. We selected Andrew Wallace Architects based on their portfolio and their initial ideas about our project. Having met Andrew and John we knew we could work well with them both and this was important for us too. We produced a project brief but AWA helped us refine our requirements further during the early design stages. The final design addressed the functional aspects of the project alongside producing a huge wow factor. The design is distinctive, contemporary and elegant but one that also sits well alongside the original Victorian house.

They worked with us through the procurement and build stages of the project working with us to ensure the best quality materials were used and desired finishes were achieved. They also assisted with the management of contractors as well as planning and building control. We are thrilled with the final result. It has transformed how our family lives in our home. We would have no hesitation recommending Andrew Wallace Architects to other prospective clients.

– Leo and Louise (Manchester)

I first used Andrew Wallace Architects and Interior Designers to design a delicatessen I developed in city centre Manchester. Andrew personally developed the design and led the project on site. His attention to detail was very high and he had clearly spent a long time considering all aspects of the design and product choices. The resulting design surpassed my expectations. On site he was tenacious with the contractor, never settling for just good enough. This led to a great end product that still came in on time and budget. I believe it also went on to win several local awards.

Recently I came back to Andrew for him to undertake a residential development. Again his designs were outstanding. Unfortunately in the end I was unable to secure the land and the project did not develop to the construction stage. I have come to know Andrew on a personal level and find him honest and straightforward, and I intend to use him again when the right investment opportunity comes along.

– Mr Dhaliwal

I am the director of Derbyshire Construction a local construction company and worked on a project as the main contractor when Andrew Wallace Architects were the architects. I was impressed by their designs for the project as they were much more original than the usual fare. When I later bought an empty plot of land to develop as my own house I went to them to act as the architects. On what was a difficult site in a very strict conservation area they came up with a solution that dealt with all the issues and gave me a thrilling contemporary home that I am delighted with and proud of.

I found their use of three dimensional CAD modelling particularly useful to visualise the house and give us the confidence it would be what we wanted. Their attention to detail allowed me to ensure designs were clearly understood enabling me to keep my budgets set. They also carried out the interior design works on the house which again was simply stunning. I would be happy to recommend Andrew Wallace Architects for anyone considering the use of an architect or interior designer for a residential development. They were very attentive and nothing was ever any trouble.

– A Derbyshire – Derbyshire Construction

I instructed Andrew and John to deliver the design for a luxurious substantial single family dwelling in a conservation area in South Manchester. The brief itself was very demanding and was further complicated by certain inherent restrictions and challenges dictated by the chosen site for the proposed development.

However, in a very short period of time Andrew and John produced a very imaginative design reflecting faithfully the ideas set out in our brief. Moreover, their design turned the limitations imposed by the site in a visually very pleasing aesthetic. The work they produced was consistently of very high quality, delivered against a very demanding timetable and supported by other professional advisers they brought in as and when required.

– Mr Carson

Having worked with Andrew Wallace Architects successfully on a large scale residential development project in Didsbury as the main contractor (Ladson Construction), and given their modern style, it was an easy choice and a good fit to work with them again now on my substantial family home refurbishment and extension. Unlike many Architects practices they obviously put a lot of preparation into the detailed drawings for the Didsbury development which ensured the works on site were problem free. As a company we found them trustworthy and reliable throughout. The Didsbury development won various industry awards for design and construction.

Their expertise and passion for interior design was another key factor in choosing to work with them on such an important project for our family where we never plan to move from and so every aspect needs to be designed thoughtfully and delivered precisely. Their time invested in completing 3D Cad renders and models is really assisting us in visualizing the designs as they progress and is making decisions easier for myself and my wife. It’s also very exciting and adding a lot of fun to the process.

– A. L.