Esher Architects
Esher is one of Surrey's best places to live. The question is whether your home is making the most of it. If you are looking for more space, a better layout, or a property that finally matches the way you want to live, I can help.
Estate covenants, green belt rules, planning questions and the sheer scale of the decisions can quickly feel like a lot to hold. You don't have to navigate it on your own.
I'm a RIBA Chartered Esher Architect working across Elmbridge and Surrey, helping homeowners and developers turn ambitious ideas into well-designed, buildable spaces - with clear guidance at every stage.
I understand how much rides on getting a project like this right
Making significant changes to a home in Esher is a serious commitment, and it is natural to feel the weight of it. Whether you are in a Victorian villa on the Crown Estate, a 1930s semi near Esher Green, or a family home off Copsem Lane, the underlying worries tend to be the same - you can see the potential, but the route to it is far from clear. Are you wrestling with any of the following:
- What Elmbridge Borough Council will and won't permit on a property like yours
- How an estate covenant or green belt setting limits what you can do
- How far you can extend or reconfigure before the structure becomes the deciding factor
- What the structural work - steelwork and the like - will add to the cost
- Whether the architect you appoint will stay involved once planning is granted
If any of these resonate, I can help. My work begins by answering these questions directly, so the decisions that follow are made with confidence rather than guesswork.
The First-Sketch-to-Finished-Build Approach
When you work with the right architect, you gain confidence in your project, the whole process becomes easier to navigate, and the finished home feels like what you were hoping for - not a compromise you had to settle for.
That is how I work with you. With a background spanning design and construction, I bring the experience, judgement and practical understanding needed to shape a project that, where required, can gain approval through Elmbridge Borough Council, satisfy any estate requirements, be built properly, and deliver the space you set out to create.
As a RIBA Chartered Architect, I guide you through all seven stages, from the first sketch to completion on site, so you always understand what is happening, why it matters and what comes next. We work together from the first idea through to the finished result.
What I can help with in Esher
- House extensions
- New build and replacement homes
- Loft conversions
- Full house refurbishments
- Basement conversions
- Period property restoration
- Planning applications
- Listed building work
- Feasibility studies
- Building regulations & construction drawings
Not sure which of these best describes your project? Tell me what you would like to achieve, and I will advise on the most sensible way to get there.
Architecture for every kind of Esher property
Esher's housing is wonderfully varied, and so is the work I take on - from modest extensions and loft conversions to replacement dwellings, commercial premises, period properties and luxury homes.
Residential architecture
Contemporary extensions, loft and basement conversions, refurbishments, interiors and new build homes - from modern family spaces to luxury homes, across Esher's private estates and leafy residential streets alike.
Commercial architecture
Considered, practical design for commercial premises and mixed-use schemes, shaped around how the space needs to work and what Elmbridge Borough Council will support.
Listed & period buildings
Sensitive work to listed buildings and properties within Esher's conservation areas, blending period character with the comfort, interiors and function of a modern home.
An architect who connects design, planning and construction
Composition Design is my RIBA chartered architecture practice, based nearby in Surbiton and working throughout Esher and the surrounding Surrey villages. Behind every project sits thirty years of multidisciplinary experience - residential, commercial and leisure, including time spent as a director of a design-and-build practice. It means I understand not only how a building should look, but how it is actually put together.
That matters more than it might sound. Many architects are content to secure planning permission and step away, leaving you to navigate the build alone. I prefer to stay involved through every stage, on site as well as at the drawing board, because the way a design is built is what ultimately determines whether it succeeds.
The result is design you can trust to be buildable: ambitious where it should be, grounded in construction reality, and considered against budget from the very beginning.
Some Of Our Recently Completed Projects
How it works
I study your property
It begins with your enquiry through the contact form. Once I have your address, I look at the property and its surroundings - the type of house, its context, any estate or green belt constraints, and what Elmbridge Borough Council is likely to allow - so I am already informed when we speak.
We discuss your plans
A conversation to understand what you would like to achieve and how I can help, usually followed by a visit to see the property in person and talk through your options and the process ahead.
You receive a tailored proposal
Following the visit I prepare a fee proposal suited to your project - whether a fixed fee or a percentage - so the scope and the cost are clear before you commit to anything.
Trusted by Surrey homeowners, developers and businesses
We worked with Jonathan on plans for a loft conversion and also a ground-floor kitchen extension. Jonathan was excellent, researching thoroughly for both. From the initial chat we found our ideas were listened to, and Jonathan provided great insight into what we could and couldn't do in terms of our council's restrictions. The process was quick - we had drawings in no time. We were also thankful for the builder recommendations.
We worked with Jonathan on a couple of projects: an initial ground-floor extension, followed by an extension to our first floor. On both occasions, Jonathan provided us with creative options to maximise the use of the space, and the end result has transformed our home. Jonathan was hands-on throughout, from the initial design concepts to managing the planning process, coordinating with the builders and providing practical advice when we needed it. I would highly recommend Jonathan and his team at Composition Design.
Jonathan was our architect and project manager for our home, and we were extremely delighted with the new plans as they suited our needs. From the outset, he showed a remarkable ability to blend creative vision with practical execution - his designs met our aesthetic expectations while adhering to all relevant building regulations. When we encountered challenges, Jonathan navigated them with real adaptability, and we were very pleased with how he collaborated with us and the builders to keep everyone aligned. We had a large extension and a loft conversion at the same time, and the completed home exceeded our expectations. If we were ever to build again, I would not hesitate to work with Jonathan.
Working across Esher and the surrounding villages
My practice is based just along the road in Surbiton, and I have worked across this part of Surrey for over thirty years. I know Esher and its housing stock well - the substantial homes of the Crown Estate and Claremont Park, the period properties around Esher Green and Lower Green, the family streets off Copsem Lane and More Lane, and the green belt and conservation area constraints that shape so much of the work here. I am only twelve minutes down the road via Portsmouth Road and the A307, so I am close at hand throughout your project and familiar with how Elmbridge Borough Council approaches planning across the area.
As well as Esher and its KT10 postcode, I regularly work with clients in the surrounding areas, all a short drive away:
- Hinchley Wood
- Weston Green
- Claygate
- Cobham
- Thames Ditton
- Long Ditton
- Weybridge
- Oxshott
- Kingston upon Thames
- Surbiton
Esher Architects: Frequently Asked Questions
How do private estate covenants affect my project?
On estates such as the Crown Estate and Claremont Park, alongside the usual planning rules there are often covenants and an estate management company whose approval you also need. It does not mean you cannot improve your home - it means the design has to satisfy two sets of requirements rather than one. I assess both early, so we design with those constraints in mind from the start rather than discovering them late.
Will I need planning permission in Esher?
It depends on the property and what you would like to do. Some work falls under permitted development, while other projects - particularly on the green belt, within conservation areas, or on listed buildings - require a full application. One of the first things I do is assess what is likely to be allowed on your property, so you have a realistic picture from the outset.
How long does planning permission take with Elmbridge Borough Council?
Straightforward householder applications typically take around eight to ten weeks once submitted, though green belt, conservation area and listed building cases can take longer. I will give you a realistic sense of timescales for your specific project, and prepare a thorough application to avoid unnecessary delays.
Do you stay involved once planning is approved?
Yes. Unlike practices that secure planning permission and step away, I follow all seven RIBA work stages - through detailed construction drawings, tendering, and on site through to completion - so the design is carried through properly and built as intended.
Can you design a replacement dwelling or new build on the green belt?
Often, yes, though green belt policy is strict and the scope is usually tied to the existing footprint and volume. I assess what the site and policy realistically allow before any design work begins, so we pursue a scheme with a genuine chance of approval rather than one that overreaches.
Can you recommend a builder?
Yes. I work alongside trusted builders familiar with the standard of work expected on Esher properties and am happy to make recommendations, then coordinate with them throughout the build to keep the project on track and aligned with the design.
Let's discuss what your Esher property could become
If you are considering an extension, a new build, a refurbishment or work to a period or listed property, send an enquiry through the form. I will review your property and come back to you with how I can help and the sensible next steps - the easiest way to get your project moving.