RESIDENTIAL / GARDEN ROOMS & ANNEXES
A room in the garden — office, gym, or a home for family.
From a garden studio to work in, to a fully self-contained annexe for a relative. We design and build both, and navigate the annexe planning rules that trip most people up.
- Timeline
- 6–12 weeks
- Route
- PD or full (annexe = careful)
- We provide
- Design · Planning · Build
- Uses
- Office · gym · annexe
- “I need a proper place to work, not the spare bedroom.”
- “We want mum close, but independent.”
- “Can we put something at the end of the garden without planning?”
A garden office or gym is often straightforward — many fall under Permitted Development, subject to height and siting rules. An annexe someone will live in is a different animal: the line between ancillary accommodation and an independent dwelling is where most applications come unstuck, and it decides everything from council tax to what you can do with the building later.
We design your scheme to sit on the right side of that line, make the planning case, and build it — insulated, serviced and finished as a proper building, not a shed.
- We know exactly where the ancillary/independent line sits — and design to the right side of it.
- Proper foundations, insulation and services: a building, not a glorified shed.
- One team for the planning argument and the construction.
Our residential case studies are being written up. In the meantime, the commercial and heritage projects show how we work when it’s genuinely difficult — the same care applies to a kitchen extension.
See the projectsCan I live in a garden annexe?
Ancillary annexes — dependent on the main house — have specific planning rules. A fully independent dwelling is a different application entirely. We'll place your plan on the right side of the line.
Does a garden office need planning permission?
Often not, within Permitted Development height and siting limits. We confirm before design starts.
Can you connect water and drainage?
Yes — services, foundations and building regulations are part of the design and build package.
START HERE
Office, gym or annexe — tell us the plan.
A short conversation with Tom is the fastest way to find out what’s possible — no fee, no obligation, an honest read on your site.