Building projects typically involve an array of different processes and activities. Whilst at the outset a project might seem overwhelming, they can be simply navigated with a good team around you and a clear structure to work within. The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), the global professional body for architects, developed a stage-by-stage framework […]

First Steps to Securing Planning Permission Securing planning permission is often one of the first major milestones in any building project. The complexity of the planning process and the level of information required by the local planning authority will vary depending on several factors, including the type, scale, and location of your project. For domestic […]

Introduction Class Q permitted development is a planning right in England that allows existing agricultural buildings, most commonly barns, to be converted into residential dwellings without the need for full planning permission. This right falls under the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015, Schedule 2, Part 3, Class Q. To convert […]

We’re excited to share that VESP Architects are designing and building a new Passivhaus-certified office in the Dartmoor National Park, making it the first of its kind in South Devon. VESP architects were established in 2006 and for the first few years were squeezed into a spare bedroom in a director’s house. Over the years, […]

We’re excited to share that in January this year, VESP Architects successfully secured planning permission for two new-build homes on the South Hams coast, in the beautiful village of Bantham. This project marks a significant achievement, not just for us and our clients, but for anyone trying to navigate the increasingly complex planning landscape in […]

Planning permission can often seem confusing, but understanding the rules around permitted development and planning permission in the UK can make the process much simpler. Whether you’re considering a home extension or even a new build property, this guide will explain key concepts, including what qualifies for permitted development, the planning permission process, and common […]

VESP architects have recently been awarded planning permission for a new-build replacement dwelling, deep in the Dartmoor National Park. Situated near Hexworthy, the site was occupied by a small holiday cottage, built by the family many years previous. This small house is located amongst a patchwork of drystone walls that characterise this beautiful moorland farmland. […]

VESP architects were commissioned to breathe life back into a period property in Malpas, Cheshire. The five bedroom house had been extended unsympathetically and wasn’t functioning well as a modern family home; our brief was to readdress the primary circulation through the house,  provide a generous, open plan kitchen / dining space and a new […]

The major renovation and extension of a Victorian villa on the Dorset coast has recently been completed. The works looked to modernise the house whilst opening it up to the garden and views of the coast beyond, including a glass-box kitchen extension and a striking contemporary dormer window at the top of the roof. The […]

The August edition of Grand Designs Magazine features our new build house on the cliff tops of South Devon. Labrador Bay House is a contemporary new home nestled into the clifftops above the Shaldon coastline in South Devon. The clients approached us with the brief to replace a large existing dwelling with a new home […]

We are excited that our application for a highly sustainable, low energy upside-down house on a disused, infill plot in a residential area in Totnes, has received planning permission. The dwelling will be sustainable in construction, and low-carbon in use, an exemplar scheme promoting climate conscious construction. The client wanted to avoid building using traditional […]

VESP architects are now certified passive house designers, allowing us to design dwellings that meet the requirements of the Passivhaus Institute. Clients that wish for their new home to meet this highest of performance standards can now work with us to achieve their ambitions. Our aim is to combine this meticulous method of design and […]

Within National Planning Policy, Paragraph 84 creates the opportunity for the development of new dwellings of exceptional design quality, in isolated locations within the open countryside.   Our client appointed us to explore design options for a new two bedroom home within a South Devon creekside setting that would be of the highest standard of […]

Our clients sought our expertise in crafting a home that harmonized with the rugged beauty of their site: sharp cliffs, undulating hills, and dense woods nestled along the South Devon coastline. As enthusiasts of handmade furniture, they envisioned Erme House embodying principles of tactility, sustainability, and craftsmanship. The residence comprises four distinct elements: a Carport, […]

VESP architects have completed the new build house at Moore farm in the summer of 2023. Working with the same contractor and project manager as the hugely successful Higher Dorsley, there are some notable similarities to the aesthetic and detailing. The new house is a contemporary take on the traditional Devon farmhouse cluster. Comfortably settled […]

VESP architects have received planning permission for a significant addition to the characterful detached property Glensilva. Located on the coastline near Falmouth, Cornwall, this large house is in the process of being lovingly restored and updated by the owners. However, the kitchen facilities were small and located at the rear of the house, with little […]

Apple Trees is a major house refurbishment in South Devon. VESP architects were asked to remodel the existing 4 bedroom house to improve functionality and create a beautiful exterior and interior. The photo below was taken at the start of the project in 2019. The new configuration provides a new entrance hall with a self-sufficient, […]

VESP Architects have won Best Interior in the Homebuilding & Renovating Awards 2023 with our Class Q barn conversion Higher Dorsley! Upon entering the house, you emerge in the double-height kitchen and living space. Here the light pours into the room through the large glazed wall. The white walls and ceilings, together with the herringbone […]

VESP architects‘ house at Labrador Bay has been photographed again this summer to make the most of the fantastic natural woodland and cliff-top setting. The talented people at Panoptic Motion have taken some beautiful new shots and we’re excited to share them with you. Here are a few of our favourites, but for more, please […]

VESP Architects is delighted to announce that planning consent has been successfully secured for a fundamental redevelopment of an historic farmstead in the heart of the Devon Countryside. Our clients approached us to create a design that will breathe new life into the dilapidated farm. Although the existing farmhouse and surrounding barns are largely beyond […]

We are excited to announce that our project Higher Dorsey has been shortlisted for the Homebuilding & Renovating Awards 2023. Please vote for our entry @ no. 10 here !  Thank you. Higher Dorsley is a Class Q barn conversion, situated in the beautiful South Hams countryside.   Our clients asked us to convert the […]

Nestled within Dartmoor National Park, Bridge Park is a house that marries old and new through thoughtful expansion and modernization. VESP architects secured planning permission for a small but important addition to this detached house. The addition, alongside interior alterations, creates a spacious, legible modern home that now has good connection with its garden spaces […]

You can now win a VESP designed house. Our Bottor Cottage project is currently featured as The Devon House in the Million Pound House Draw by Omaze UK. Our clients bought this dilapidated cottage at auction. The cottage had previously been unsympathetically extended and had fallen into complete disrepair. We refurbished the Georgian property and […]

VESP architects have designed the complete refurbishment and extension of a group of barns in the North Devon countryside to create a new large family home. The owners found and purchased the plot in 2021, with previous permission to convert the smallest of the barns into a two bed property. The clients wanted to go […]

We are excited to announce that our new extension to an impressive Georgian farmhouse, just outside Ashburton in South Devon will be completed soon. Our design for a glass and oak extension, which replaces and old lean-to, will give the client an open plan kitchen and day room. The extension is entered from the dining […]

We are excited that our green oak framed extension to a 1950s bungalow near Totnes has just been completed. Here is a sneak preview of this lovely project. We will be back for the professional photoshoot later this year when the landscaping has been completed. The new extension provides the clients with a generous open […]

We were nominated at the Building Excellence Awards 2023 for two awards, organized by Devon Building Control ( DBC ) . The awards recognize excellent practice across a complete range of building projects. The nominations are assessed on a number of considerations, including compliance, quality, willingness to discuss challenges, accessibility, energy conservation and sustainability. We […]

Below is a time-lapse video of the construction of VESP architects’ recently completed Labrador Bay House. It’s a great insight into the work that went into creating this spectacular new home on the cliff tops of South Devon. The house was designed to nestle into the landscape; From the entrance it is experienced as a […]

At VESP Architects, we are committed to promoting sustainable practices and reducing our impact on the environment. As part of this commitment, we recently participated in a day planting trees with Moor Trees at Coombeshead Rewilding. Moor Trees is a charity dedicated to restoring native woodland on Dartmoor and South Devon. Our location, Coombeshead Rewilding, […]

VESP Architects have received planning permission for River House, near Exeter in Devon. The proposals for River House were taken on an extensive and complex planning journey, including consultation with flood engineers, Natural England and the Environment Agency. The site sits immediately adjacent to a fluctuating river environment and SSSI, with sections of the plot […]

VESP architects have won ‘best residential and small commercial designer’ in the regional DBC building excellence awards 2022, and represented the South West at the national awards ceremony in London. This was in recognition of the high standards in our completed buildings and our excellent working relationship with building control. Click here to see how […]

VESP is the exciting new face of van Ellen + Sheryn architects. Since 2006, we have established ourselves as one of the leading RIBA Chartered Architects in Devon and the South West. Our rebranding recognises the growth of the company and the team of architects and designers in our studio. Whilst VESP (van Ellen, Sheryn, Phillips) […]

VESP Architects have recently received planning permission for a modern extension to a farmhouse in the South Hams, Devon. The existing house was in state of disrepair, and the internal configuration was not suitable for modern day family living. Our scheme proposes to add a dining room in the form of a new extension to […]

VESP Architects have gained planning permission to refurbish and extend a century-old Welsh farmhouse, situated in a beautiful valley in south Wales. Gilfach Goch, meaning ‘Welsh Red Creek’, has been in our clients’ family for over a century.  Unfortunately the farmhouse has fallen into disrepair. Our proposals look to refurbish and extend the farmhouse and […]

Having recently completed the external landscaping, new photos have been taken at Court 6 in Plymouth. The house has an ‘upside-down’ arrangement, with kitchen, dining, living and the master bedroom at first floor to maximise views and light. Bedrooms, gym, home office and TV room are all located at ground floor in a u-shaped arrangement […]

We have new photos to share of Beechwood, a 6 bedroom property sits on the wooded hillside above Salcombe’s South Sands Beach, courtesy of Harriet George Properties. Designed by van Ellen + Sheryn and constructed by Goulden and Sons, the house was completed in 2019. The house has settled in well over the last few years; […]

VESP Architects design for a new clifftop house in Shaldon, Devon is on-site and half way through the build process with contractors and project managers Goulden and Sons. The concrete walls of the subterranean ground floor were completed late last year, and since then the complex steel framed walls and roof have been erected. The […]

A short progress video this morning from one of our sites;   North Farm is a Grade-II listed, working farmhouse in mid-Devon, where we gained permission for two large extensions, increasing the footprint by 45%. The permission provides our clients with contemporary entry spaces, kitchen/dining, and a generous home office. The timelapse video (courtesy of […]

van Ellen + Sheryn were nominated as ‘Best Residential and Small Commercial Designer 2022’ at this years Devon Building Control awards. We work closely with Devon Building Control for many of our projects, using their wealth of knowledge during design development, and collaborating with them and contractors on-site to ensure the highest quality of builds are […]

Two new dwellings currently on-site are making good progress. A class-Q barn conversion is nearing completion in the South Hams. A simple palette of granite, larch and metal roofing are contemporary references to the agricultural heritage of the site. Internally, the robust timber structure is expressed, and finer architectural joinery acts as a counterpoint. A […]

VAN ELLEN + SHERYN : Awarded Best of Houzz 2022 : People’s choice award highlights top home professionals among the Houzz community, based on quality service and most popular designs 27th January, 2022 – van Ellen + Sheryn architects of Ashburton, Devon has won a “Best of Houzz” award for Design and Customer Service on Houzz®, the leading platform for home renovation […]

Located near the north Cornish coast, the barn had been converted in the 1990’s, and required major work to increase and improve its accommodation, and bring it into the 21st century. The design focused around providing a new open-plan kitchen, dining and living room at first floor, that could look out over the valley beyond. […]

We are excited to announce that our project Leign Farm Barns scooped the 2021 LABC South West Building Excellence Award for Best Residential Conversion or Alteration to an Existing Barn. The conversion of these two stone heritage barns, dating back to the 16th century, was part of the refurbishment of the farmstead Leign Farm on Dartmoor. […]

Van Ellen + Sheryn have recently received permission for a contemporary Timber framed extension, and new dormer windows to a house in the Kent Downs National Park.    Located in the protected Green Belt, we were able to negotiate a beautiful scheme for our clients, whilst carefully navigating a notoriously tricky planning authority. This scheme provides […]

VESP Architects have gained planning permission to refurbish and extend a large property outside Lyme Regis, Dorset.  The house is an arts and crafts style detached property with sprawling gardens, overlooking the Char valley. The proposals looked to replace an existing linking extension between the two main wings of the house, with a new oak-and-glass […]

VESP Architects have received Planning Permission for a distinctive new contemporary farmhouse near Totnes in South Devon. Our client approached us having been previously unsuccessful in their attempt to achieve a ‘Class Q’ conversion for an existing barn on the site. VESP Architects were appointed to realise the client’s ambition of a new home in […]

Bottor cottage is a Georgian house and gardens located in the Dartmoor national park. VESP Architects completely renovated, modernised, and extended the home in 2017. Since then the gardens have been designed and re-landscaped by Alice Blount Designs, and we felt it was a great opportunity for a revisit. The design uses a geometric grid […]

VESP Architects spent an enjoyable day at Bottor Cottage, to get some new team photos done for our website.  We are now a team of 9 architects and designers. We are all very different, one of us can wiggle their ears and moonwalk simultaneously, one of us loves pink ‘n whites mallow wafers, while another […]

  Van Ellen + Sheryn designed a modern floor-to-ceiling glass extension to Roseland Cottage, a beautiful 200 year old Cornish cottage. The old cottage provides the clients with cosy intimate living accommodation while the contrasting modern extension allows them to enjoy views over the garden and the countryside, from their light filled living room. Selfbuilder […]

VESP Architects have received planning permission for the refurbishment and extension of an old mill house in Devon. The proposals are the result of a meticulous and sensitive design process that have considered the value of both the built and natural environment that currently exists at this mill house. The scheme  brings the house and annexe together […]