Testimonials
My partner and I appointed Zoe Lewis Architects Ltd to make some alterations to our 1950's, semi-detached house in Caversham. We had a tiny kitchen, unused dining room and had to keep the fridge freezer in the outdoor garage. We wanted to open it up and create an open plan kitchen and dining/ living layout with direct access to the rear garden via some new bi-folding doors and also to create a new downstairs bathroom and small laundry room so that we didn't have to do laundry in the kitchen any more.
Zoe worked with us to understand our living needs, budget, and how we wanted to live in the house after the building work was complete. She provided us with several different design options for us to consider and was a fantastic collaborative partner in creating a new design for our home.
Zoe was able to provide us with a contemporary design that beautifully reworked the layout of our old kitchen and dining room into one beautiful and functional space where we can cook, entertain, and relax.
We are absolutely delighted with the results! it has completely changed the way we live in our house for the better.
The services Zoe also provided were; a Building Regulations package, (including Structural Engineering information- by others) to obtain Building Regulations consent and Thames Water consent. In addition, Tenders were submitted to Builders and construction management was provided by Micheal which made the construction process run more smoothly, enabling constant and clear lines of communication between us and the main contractor.
We are delighted with the outcome and would not hesitate to recommend this Practice or to use them for future projects.
Mr Trotter
“After meetings with a couple of potential alternative Architects, and a certain amount of frustration with the level of feedback to our ideas or alternative suggestions, meeting Zoe was a breath of fresh air. From the first moments of our conversation it was clear that she had an appreciation for our existing house, and quickly came to understand what we wanted to achieve. However, she wasn't shy in suggesting alternatives based upon her experience, and her vision to fundamentally change the layout of the house is one we followed, and we're very glad that we did. As well as helping to deliver an end result that we're hugely proud of, Zoe and her team were a pleasure to deal with throughout the process. I'd have no hesitation at all in recommending ZLA to friends or family.”
— Mr & Mrs Tinsdale
“When we were looking to sort out some existing issues with our house and add an extension we didn't really have a clue where to start. We met with several architects but as soon as we met Zoe we realised there wasn't any other choice for us. She was very easy to talk to and listened to what we wanted, suggesting changes and options without being dictatorial. She led us through the process clearly and answered any questions we had about the build in a way that we understood. She allayed our fears about the bureaucracy of the process and she was always a pleasure to have visit the site. Her recommendations on builders, materials etc were great and we honestly wouldn't have been able to do this without her. We are currently working again with Zoe to add additional space to the second floor of the house and I would recommend her and her team to anyone looking to extend their home.”
— Mr & Mrs Powell
“Zoe has done an excellent job on many occasions, she is able to produce work to a high standard.”
— Mr A Perrot
“We contacted Zoe in order to produce the design and plans for our office conversion. From the first meeting we had Zoe immediately added huge value and input into the process. From talking through the options we had to explaining how to approach building and planning regulations and identifying what needed to be done. Zoe worked with us to produce a plan which fitted in with our budget and our ideas for the office space. We had no issues with the planning and our builders were able to follow the plans and execute the build with minimum fuss. Zoe was prompt and on time with all the work she produced and was happy to answer questions and provide follow up information when required. I would have no hesitation in recommending Zoe to other potential customers.”
— Mr A Baghrit
“We used Zoe as the architect for a large extension that was really a complete reorganisation of our house. From the off, we really took to Zoe. She immediately got us and what we were trying to achieve, coming up with ideas that we simply had not seen but then working with us through several sympathetic iterations until we got the design that was best for us. The plans that Zoe produced were very easy for us to understand and they worked well for our builders. Zoe helped us manage the building application process that also went smoothly. In summary, we were very pleased with Zoe and the service that she provided to us. I would definitely use her again.”
— Mr Rowell
“Zoe and ZLA have been consummate professionals throughout a very complicated project. Their thoughtful design added tens of thousands of pounds to the value of the flats and their considered layouts have made for wonderful new homes. Their ongoing support throughout the build was invaluable, and they helped us handle some very tricky build requirements. We would be very happy to recommend them to other developers working on conversion projects and new builds, and look forward to working with them again.”
— Mrs Patel (Director Blue Infinity Property Group.)
“We are delighted with our recently completed extension. The brief we gave to Zoe has been fulfilled, and more than we could have ever imagined. Her input was vital. No hesitation in recommending her.”
— Mr & Mrs Blades
“We found Zoe very friendly, approachable and more importantly experienced in our type of project. Modifying, old Victorian terraced style properties are never easy but Zoe understood our brief and worked with us throughout to develop and evolve the scheme. Zoe dealt with the planning and building control departments and the whole process appeared effortless due to the attention to detail and professionalism of the design. Our project involved a single story side extension to square off the existing building and create an open plan kitchen / family room, further works involved relocating the staircase to create a downstairs wet room and relocating the upstairs bathroom into the space created by the relocated staircase which allowed one of the bedrooms to double in size by extending into the space created by relocating the bathroom! We are delighted with the end result and would have no hesitation in working with Zoe again or recommending Zoe to others.”
— Mr P Capel
“What can we say except that the end result exceeds our expectations! If we had the opportunity to start again, nothing would be changed. Walking through to the new area it is not immediately obvious exactly where the old house finished and the new part starts although there is a clue with the heightened ceiling. Several of our friends have been over and all comments range from the normal “wow” to a more quantified “you just cannot imagine something so special is inside when looking from the front of the house”. We always challenge to see what they really think and there have been no negatives, only mild jealousy! When I consider back to the initial kick off meeting and our detailed sketches of what we wanted to the end result there is no comparison. You were able to interpret our need, politely state we were wrong and provide nicer solutions. There were of course many more items that evolved, but it is amazing how complex things can be when you consider the extension was only a three-sided box 3.6m deep x 9m wide. The use of your services at the outset was a great investment as it is far easier to change, challenge understand, maximise and evolve when the design is only in electronic images and drawings. Of equal importance is the fact that you did not overstep your role and included within the design some of our ideas and desires even if you were not totally convinced. To us, this was important. Special mention must be given to Micheal for the expert project management during the actual build. He really did have his finger on the pulse, delivering timely answers and solutions to all the issues encountered as the build progressed. I am well aware he was regularly present during the day when we were not available and provided a decision looking at the problem from our perspective. It was our original intention to undertake our own project management and I think it would have resulted in significantly more cost and a longer build time due to our lack of expertise on building regulations, advanced construction methods and expected quality levels. Excellent service all round, with the added benefit that he has a sense of humour! As important, was the fact that (my wife) who was the only person available some days was never intimidated or reluctant to challenge and ask questions. Additional clarification and advice was always forthcoming in a pleasant and constructive manner. You really appear to have a niche in the market for maximising and optimising “standard” house extensions and making them just that little bit special or as Denise puts it “Our mini grand design”. Sincere thanks.”
— Mr & Mrs Hermon
“Upon first meeting Zoe, it was clear that she had a passion for design and period properties. Her enthusiasm for our extension was clear and over the course of the design and drawing process she suggested a number of useful ideas and solutions that helped create a set of very impressive flat and 3D drawings. During the construction period things ran smoothly and thanks to the first class builders, recommended by Zoe and her team, our extension was finished on time, on budget and above our expectations.”
— Mr & Mrs Joy
“Our brief for Zoe was exactly that.....brief.....a single storey extension with some of the garden removed to make a patio, once the existing conservatory had been removed. Zoe was extremely patient with us as neither of us really knew what we wanted, we just knew that we needed a replacement for our conservatory. Once the plans were agreed, Zoe gave us a rough ball park figure of how much we could expect the build to be which, as I had never dealt with an architect before, I didn't expect her to know. Zoe took care of all the planning consent and building control which made getting the whole project off the ground hassle free. When the time came to look for a builder to carry out the work, we had a builder in mind but asked if Zoe knew anyone that she had worked with before. We went on holiday and Zoe took care of sending the plans out to the builders asking them to contact us directly if they were interested in quoting for the works by the time we returned the quotes were already coming in and they were very close to the ball park figure that Zoe gave us. Now the build is complete and Zoe's idea to put a pitched roof in instead of a sloping roof has totally transformed the whole finished build - it looks amazing and I know that it wouldn't have been achieved if we went with a sloping roof. We have absolutely no reservations about recommending Zoe or using her for any future projects we may have.”
— Mr & Mrs Woodcock
“We first met Zoe at our old house as we were thinking about an kitchen extension but then decided to move instead to a house that needed completely updating! So, we had no hesitation in contacting Zoe again. Zoe is very friendly and extremely professional. We didn't have to go back and fourth with the drawings as Zoe got it spot on first time. We also hired Micheal, who works with Zoe as our Project Manager and he was worth every penny. Michael, was extremely professional and flexible with his time. We could not have got through it without him. Overall from our initial briefing meeting, we were not disappointed with Zoe and Michael and look forward to working with them again, when we tackle our upstairs next year. Highly Recommend.”
— Mr & Mrs Pavey
“It was an absolute pleasure working with Zoe and Micheal from ZLA Ltd. They expertly guided us through the whole process from design and planning through building contract administration. It was great to work with an Architect that specialises in domestic work such as what we wanted to do. Zoe worked with us to determine what we wanted out of the new space and her designs have completely transformed the way we live in our house. It was excellent that ZLA Ltd also offer building contract administration as it enabled us to be much more sensible about how to select a builder, evaluate their quotations, and stay on track and budget by helping us with change control and milestone sign-offs. We would absolutely make use of ZLA Ltd again for future projects and can't recommend them highly enough. Thank you Zoe, Micheal, and the whole ZLA Team!”
— Mr B Trotter