High acclaim for Lower Lodge!

We’re proud to share that Lower Lodge has been awarded a Highly Commended certificate at this year’s Listed and Modern Awards! 

This curtilage-listed lodge, originally built in 1839, had suffered from poor-quality extensions in the 1960s and 1980s and a long history of six failed planning applications. We knew it deserved better. With a bold yet sensitive design approach, we transformed this 2-bedroom house into a spacious, modern 3-bedroom family home—one that respects its historic roots while embracing contemporary living.

The vision was clear: restore the lodge’s integrity by removing the unsympathetic additions and revealing more of the original structure. By ensuring the new extension remains invisible from the front, we preserved the historic charm that makes Lower Lodge so special.

But we didn’t stop there. Leveraging the site’s natural slope, we introduced a lower-ground level, carefully positioned to maximize space without impacting the landscape. Expansive glazing frames breathtaking views, while the upstairs living areas embrace the surrounding scenery, and the new lower-level bedrooms offer a peaceful retreat.

This project is a testament to the power of thoughtful design - proving that heritage properties can be transformed to meet modern needs without compromising their past.

“Your achievement of navigating a complex planning process and delivering an excellent project has not gone unnoticed, and your commitment to enhancing the special interest of the historic building serves as a fine example for listed property owners across the UK.”

Join us at the Listed Property Show

JMA is thrilled to announce our return to the Listed Property Show at Olympia, London, on January 31st and February 1st, 2025.

This exceptional event gathers a diverse array of expert conservation suppliers and specialists from across the nation, all under one roof. We wholeheartedly encourage our clients to attend, as it presents a fantastic opportunity to discover the perfect solutions for their projects at any stage.

Having participated in the Listed Property Show in London for several years, we have engaged with a wide range of projects, from charming, listed homes to country estates. Our most recent experience at the show in Great Malvern, Worcestershire, was particularly unforgettable. Our director, James Mackintosh, had the honour of delivering a talk titled “A Guide to Extending a Listed Building,” offering a thorough overview of managing a project from inception to completion. Additionally, James contributed to the Expert’s panel for both days, led by Dr. Jonathan Duck, the conservation advisor for the Listed Property Owner’s Club.

If you’re contemplating work on your listed property but are uncertain about where to start, the Listed Property Show is the ideal launchpad to gain expert insights. Visit us at our stand – F11 to discover how we can assist you in bringing your project to life!

Consent granted for family annex

We are excited to announce that we have been granted planning and listed building consent for the conversion of a Grade II 18th century listed barn into a family annex.

The proposal transforms the old loose box into living space creating a family annex attached to the house, whilst improving levels of insulation. To maintain the external appearance of the barn, existing openings were used for new windows and doors. Vestiges of the old barn were retained through keeping one of the mangers, a band of the cobbled stone floor was maintained around the perimeter and memories of timber stable partitions maintain on the floors and walls. Boarding from the first floor will be partially removed to create views into the roof space above.

‘One of the biggest challenges has been working around the challenges of agricultural construction where one of the principal floor beams rests on the external window’

The house was once the Rectory to the Church of St Bartholomew to the north. The house dates back to the early to mid 17th century. Whilst the stable range is 18th century and was a carriage house and loose box.

Our services included feasibility studies, condition surveys, preparing heritage statements, listed building consent and planning application and developing building regulations and working drawings.

Planning approval granted!

We are thrilled to announce that planning approval has been granted for a contemporary extension to a cottage located within the Long Compton conservation area.

The owner, having recently moved to the property, plan to renovate their cottage through improving the thermal performance of the property and making the ground floor more spacious though adding a rear extension and providing a new porch at the front of the house.

Sustainability was a key focus for the project, apart from some localised areas of damp, the cottage performed relatively well whilst the mid 20th century extension was distinctly cold. The proposal involves fitting new double glazed Cotswold style casement windows across the whole property and providing external wall insulation to reduce heat losses. The heating system is to be replaced with an air source heat pump.

At ground floor the proposal involves creating a guest suite and bootroom whilst opening up the rear wall between the kitchen and conservatory. The conservatory is to be replaced with a larger garden room extension. At the front of the house a new pitched roof is proposed over the front door so that the entrance to the house is clearer. Overall the proposals have minimum impact on the front of the house, whilst to the rear the contemporary new garden room clad in timber along with the cladding of the mid 20th century building clearly defines the old and new parts of the home.

Planning success – enabling our clients to continue living where they love.

We are delighted to have planning approved for a sensitive, accessible and adaptive reuse of an existing garage and stable block to a new one-and-a-half storey dwelling.

Having lived at the property for over 50 years our clients wished to provide a new dwelling on the site to accommodate them in their older years. The new accommodation will provide them a new 2 bed dwelling, featuring a bedroom and bathroom at first floor along with a guest room and bathroom on the ground floor. Parking for three cars and landscaping will also provide accessible outdoor amenity space and will ensure privacy between the two properties.

Situated in the Cotswold AONB, the scheme has been designed sensitively in its context and draws on these influences which can be seen in the proposed colour palette and materials used. The scheme will also make use of sustainable energy sources including an air source heat pump and photovoltaic panels ensuring the new build has minimal impact on its surroundings and the environment.

“A big thank you for all your help in getting us over the line. You have been a source of great comfort to both of us and your input is very much appreciated.”

Our happy clients

High praise for Hooke Heritage Centre following initial consultation

High praise from Historic England for a contemporary solution to Hooke Heritage Centre following initial consultation

On the 8th September, as part of Heritage Open Week, James gave a talk to members of the congregation, community, as well as planning and heritage experts from Milton Keynes Council. The purpose of the presentation was to present early ideas for the development of a heritage centre at St Mary Magdalene Church Willen.

The concept of the new building is to provide space for facilities that cannot be held in the church owing to its significance, as well as providing a flexible space that can be used by heritage visitors to learn more about polymath Sir Robert Hooke, a very special scientist who was also repsonsible for the design and construction of St Mary Magdalen’s Church.

Historic England have provided positive encouragement for the development of options at St Mary Magdalen Church, Willen. They responded as follows:

With regards to the internal reordering options, given the high degree of significance which we attach to the interior furnishings any internal reordering, involving loss of pews, would in our view entail a high degree of harm and gives considerable cause for concern. The less radical reordering to repurpose the south vestry into an accessible toilet, whilst would be less harmful, it still would be a complex undertaking, and would require a large degree of intervention into the fabric of this Grade I listed church, change of levels and potentially access, which raises a number of concerns.

The parish have put forward a number of indicative options of a separate building standing to the north of the churchyard. In our view, these options demonstrate that the distance between the two could be sufficient to allow an appreciation of the architectural qualities of Hooke’s church, particularly in views from the west. Whilst being able to appreciate this building in its simple and largely unaltered form contributes to its aesthetic qualities and therefore is an important aspect of its significance, we do not hold that its architectural qualities are dependant of it appearing completely alone in the church-yard. Therefore whilst building on this site could entail a degree of harm to the significance of the church, providing the design is good, no key views are blocked and the two buildings are clearly separate this harm could be kept to a low level. 

Of the proposed designs, Option 1 and 2 both propose avowedly contemporary designs, which appear the right response here; the character of the church is so strong that it would be very difficult to successfully emulate. The angled roof and form of Option 1 seems to particularly works well, succeeding in being deferential without being apologetic and makes for an interesting structure. We however appreciate there may be archaeological impacts that need to be further understood as well as any implications from removing the tree. The success of the designs, and how well it relates to the church, will be dependant largely on the quality of the materials and detailing used.

Option 2 for the proposed new Hooke Heritage Centre

We look forward to developing the scheme through to the next stage.

Fundraising - Unseen

This year James Mackintosh Architects Ltd are raising funds for Unseen. Over the past 5 years we have provided our clients with free no obligation advice first visit. From January 2023 we like to encourage potential clients make a donation to a cause that will better the world around us and the society we live in. At the end of the year we will match the donations pledged.

This year we are raising money in aid of unseen(uk).

More information about unseen(uk): Unseen’s vision is a world without slavery. It works both on the frontline providing direct support to modern slavery survivors and on tackling the systemic issues that allow slavery to survive. Unseen runs safe housing, outreach services, and the UK’s Modern Slavery Helpline. It equips business, NHS, police and others with training and resources to identify and support potential victims, and works to improve government policy, and to influence wider consumer choices.

For more information see https://www.unseenuk.org/

Recently completed - The Old Rectory, Gloucestershire

Recently completed in just 6 months, we received listed building consent to extend the Grade II listed Old Rectory in an incredibly sensitive location and without amendment.

Two previous schemes having been refused, and we were warned that planning would not be easy - not only as a result of the proximity to the church and the former neighbours living close by, but also that the annex the extension was connected to was reportedly 15th century.

Roof repairs to a Grade I listed Country House

Our recently completed re-roofing of a Grade I listed Country House has been published in the recent Listed Property Owners Club Magazine.

Last year we completed a re-roofing repair of a Grade I listed house in Northampton. The cautious approach to conservation undertaken ensured that significant historic fabric was retained as well as de-risking the project and reducing the anticipated repair bill by two thirds.

46-48 Covered Market wins Oxford Preservation Trust Award

In October this year we were awarded a certificate at the Oxford Preservation Trust awards for our involvement in the restoration of the historic shopfront of 46-48 Covered Market.

As with many of our projects the success of the completed project looks like they have always been there, through preserving and enhancing the structure and historic fabric of the grade II listed market. Despite the size of the units the work involved in their transformation was considerable owing to damage caused to the units prior to their listing in 2000.