Build a new house, extend or reshape where you’re living at present and to get it right in both style and practicality you’ll need an architect. If you appreciate and enjoy where you live – house and community – but need maybe a bit more space and/or a reorganisation of the living area, then possibly a move to somewhere nearby that fits would be the obvious answer. However a move isn’t the only option. Moving demands cost – a substantial amount of ‘dead money’ – with lots of hassle and disruption along the way and is always a leap into the unknown. Whereas a rebuild or reshape may well be less costly and more satisfying. And no move required.
Milton Architects – a local practice based in The Parade in Marlborough – have been offering this type of service for many years, and have plenty of successful projects to display. On Saturday (25 January) there will be an exhibition of Milton Architects’ work from the last 20 years in the Gallery at the back of the White Horse Bookshop in the High Street almost opposite the Town Hall.
But on the weekdays – Monday 27 to Friday 31 January – there will be the chance to meet the Milton Architects team at lunchtime between 1 and 2pm where you can come in with a project idea and get some free advice. That’s ‘Meet the Architects’ on weekday lunchtimes next week.
Who are Milton Architects, what do they do, and what have they done? And what could they deliver for a new client?
Milton Architect’s journey began in 1986 when Mike and Amanda met in London, working for Sheppard Robson, one of the country’s largest architectural practices. Both were architectural students on their placement years and a common interest in softball, as well as architecture, brought them together.
Moving from London to Marlborough 10 years later, Mike worked for Hampshire County Architects in Winchester where he was responsible for the design and delivery of John Hanson secondary school in Andover. Amanda worked for a local Architect alongside bringing up their three boys.
In 2005 the decision was taken to start their own architectural practice and Milton Architects was born. Mike and Amanda’s formative professional years working for others stood them in good stead, adopting the adage of “small practice, big practice mentality”. Which is what drives Milton Architects today, as it did twenty years ago in 2005.
Whilst originally almost a ‘one-man operation’, working from a back room at home, Milton Architects now comprise a practice of eight creative professionals. Across these two decades the team has evolved, and the studio flourished, developing a culture of collaboration that allows projects become so much more than the sum of their parts.
‘Quality of design’ has been a key ethos – a belief that is at the heart of all proposed solutions. Even the most modest of commissions deserves to be treated to a level of scrutiny, and design inspiration that will transform the outcome.
Mike makes clear that the team “Strive to deliver not just what our clients want but what they dreamt they couldn’t have.” He acknowledges that alongside this, of course, “We must get the basics right
too; good communication, robust processes and professional expertise. We believe that good architectural design transcends ephemeral perceptions of style.”
Each project begins with a potential client’s vision. Next week, at lunchtimes, there is the opportunity to talk through such visions at the White Horse Bookshop, and hopefully these visions could then turn into a practical reality. Or just good advice from those who know. With the chance see what other visions have morphed into beautiful living spaces. Below is a selection of just a few: