Charles Gillespie_Architecture

18/06/2026

01/06/2026

_planning.
We are delighted to have recently submitted a planning application for an ancillary barn within the setting of a listed farmhouse near Stoke St Michael. The design seeks to re-establish a clear distinction between the domestic and agricultural elements of the site, a hierarchy that has gradually blurred over time.

Conceived as a contemporary interpretation of a traditional farm building, the proposed barn is restrained, robust and free from domestic ornament. Beyond the building itself the proposal is underpinned by a holistic landscape strategy that reconnects fragmented elements of the site into a coherent whole. Through the reinforcement of historic pattens and sensitive spatial organisation the scheme aims to restore a sense of order and legibility to the farmstead.

We've also incorporated a ha-ha into the design, the fulfilment of a lifetime ambition!
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08/05/2026

_site.
One of the greatest privileges of working in architecture is the constant variation in pace, process and materiality. Recent site visits perfectly capture that contrast, from the precision of a contemporary new build to the careful, patient restoration of a heritage property.

At New Cottage, a sustainable SIPS structure is now concealed by a crisply detailed green pigmented standing seam zinc roof. The construction process is highly controlled where performance, precision and efficiency drive the architecture.

Over at Parkland Farm, the approach is forensic. Layers of harmful modern alterations are being carefully stripped away to reveal the character of the building beneath. From there the process becomes one of sensitive retrofit - introducing natural, breathable materials to improve both integrity and thermal performance of the building while respecting its historic fabric.

Two different approaches, yet both rooted in the same principles; thoughtful design, material honesty, sustainability and a contextually responsive architecture.
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01/05/2026

_planning.
Permission secured for the reconfiguration and extension of an 19th century cottage in rural Somerset.
The project began with a challenge - to bring clarity and cohesion to a home altered by an unsympathetic 'modern' addition. Our approach has been to rework and extend the existing building to form a unified whole, where iterations of the houses development sit in quiet dialogue.
A crisp and contemporary extension is expressed through a consistent and carefully considered material palette, whilst the scale and form address the unbalance created by the scale of the earlier addition.
Naturally derived materials, low impact construction methods, and a fabric first approach underpin the design, with a view to creating an enduring and environmentally responsible home for our client.
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