Honouring the Past, Designing for the Future

Transforming Period Properties with Sensitivity and Vision

At Living Space Architects, we believe that period properties are more than beautiful structures—they are custodians of architectural heritage and personal memory. Whether you own a listed building or an older home with character, our role is to help you adapt it—sensitively and sustainably—for contemporary life.

We work with homeowners throughout the South West to breathe new life into buildings of historic value, combining conservation expertise with discreet environmental upgrades and bespoke design solutions.

Reimagining Period Living

Period properties offer charm, craftsmanship, and a tangible connection to the past. But they can also present challenges: inefficient layouts, outdated heating systems, or difficulty navigating planning consents and heritage guidance. Our team is experienced in addressing these issues with considered, context-specific design.

We help you retain what you love, enhance what needs support, and gently integrate the elements that make daily life more comfortable and efficient.

A Balanced Approach to Sustainability

Refurbishing older homes for improved environmental performance requires a careful balance. We design energy upgrades that respect historic construction—breathable insulation, reversible interventions, and heritage-appropriate materials and detailing.

Where appropriate, we incorporate low-impact technologies such as air source heat pumps, secondary glazing, and solar energy systems, all tailored to each building’s context and fabric.

Selected Projects

• The Thatched Cottage, Devon
A Grade II listed cob-and-thatch home, transformed with a sensitively detailed oak-framed garden room and targeted sustainability upgrades. Lime plaster, original beams and traditional materials were retained, maintaining a strong dialogue with the building’s rural setting.

• The Old Rectory, East Devon

A comprehensive upgrade to a Georgian rectory, including breathable insulation, underfloor heating via a renewable energy system, and joinery restoration. The result: a home that supports modern family life while honouring its heritage.

• The Coach House, Exeter

A disused historic outbuilding reimagined as a calm, low-energy dwelling. Interventions included reclaimed materials, a green roof, and carefully restored stonework—retaining its character while increasing performance and livability.

Features, Projects

Riverside Revival: A Family Dream Comes True in Starcross

Nestled along the picturesque banks of the River Exe lies Exeleigh Lodge, a hidden gem waiting to be rediscovered. What was once a charming but tired bungalow is about to undergo a remarkable transformation into a contemporary riverside haven for a young family. Join us on this captivating journey as we unveil the story behind this exciting first floor extension project that promises to breathe new life into Starcross.

Discovering Potential

Exeleigh Lodge captured the hearts of our clients with its idyllic location and breathtaking river views. Situated on the tranquil south coast of Devon, this sprawling property boasts a canopied garden and easy access to Exeter and the Torbay area. Despite its enchanting surroundings, the lodge required some TLC to fulfil its potential as a modern family home.

A Collaborative Vision

We were entrusted with the task of retaining the lodge’s character, while infusing it with contemporary flair. From the outset, collaboration was key as our clients shared their vision through Pinterest boards, paving the way for a truly bespoke design journey. Led by Ellen, our PassivHaus Designer and architect, and Kirsty, our conservation accredited architect, our team embarked on a creative exploration to marry tradition with innovation.

Navigating Challenges

The journey wasn’t without its hurdles, with the lodge’s proximity to a listed building on the Powderham Estate presenting a unique set of challenges. However, with expert guidance from a planning consultant, input from ecologists and arboricultural surveyors, and enthusiastic input from our clients, our proposals struck the perfect balance between preservation and progress.

Designing for Tomorrow

The culmination of our efforts is a sleek, pitched roof extension that seamlessly integrates with the existing structure. Featuring a spacious family room with panoramic estuary views, a cosy wood-burning stove, and eco-conscious elements such as solar shading, a PV array, and triple glazing, the design reflects our clients’ commitment to sustainability and comfort.

Success in Planning

Planning applications are never straight forward, even with the best design, however we always stay in touch with the planning authority to enable discussion and a more collaborative approach. Approval came swiftly and seamlessly, which was helped by the clarity of our drawn information that enabled the planners and conservation officer to understand the scheme. The project is now on site and the hard work has begun to realise our clients vision of a home overlooking the river.

Looking Ahead

As we eagerly prepare for the next chapter, our focus turns to bringing the design to life. Technical drawings are underway, signalling the start of construction this summer. Keep an eye out for our signboard as you wander along the riverside, and join us in celebrating the rebirth of Exeleigh Lodge – a testament to the power of vision, collaboration, and the unwavering dedication to creating home that capture the imagination and inspire generations to come.

Projects, Interiors, News

Transforming a building which transforms lives…

Since our last post on the Salvation Army, the project has made great progress and exciting things have been happening. We are eager to share the next stage of our work, as the team here at LSA have been working hard with their design caps on. From exterior to interior, the design process is now well underway for the redesign of Friars’ Walk.

In our previous post, we highlighted the importance of the building’s history and how the Salvation Army has had a great impact on our society here in Exeter. Friars’ Walk is home to a thriving community, and we believe that the people at Salvation Army are taking the right steps towards the future of this building.

We knew from the outset that the interior spaces required a high-quality design strategy, and we intended each space to bring something new and different to the renovation of this building. This raised a range of considerations, from the function of each space down to the quality of finishes used. The style of design had to be sympathetic to the building’s past, but also needed to enhance and be conducive to modern life. The renovation is partly intended to act as a means of attracting people to use the building, and better appreciate all it has to offer. Opening up the interior spaces allows the building to be versatile, in keeping with its use as a site of varied activities. Below are some of our initial 3D views of the new interior spaces:

Chapel Space looking back on to Entrance Cafe

First Floor area from double height space

The future is looking bright for Friars’ Walk. We feel privileged to be working with the Salvation Army, and hope that we can offer them something special which will keep their community thriving. This is only the start – so stay on the lookout for updates on what unfolds next!

News, Press, Projects

Published in Real Homes Magazine

Our beautiful house extension and refurbishment project in Grey Wings, Cornwall has been featured in the ‘Design Guide’ for Real Homes Magazine under ‘Sustainable Style’.

This was a wonderful project to be part of, and we worked with obsessive detail to make the property the best it could possibly be.

The result was a highly sustainable and innovative design, embraced the stunning views and location of the property in a contemporary, stylistic manner.

To read more about the design, and see more pictures of this impressive extension, click here.

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