Testimonials

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Shrivenham Parish Council (The Viscountess Barrington Trust)

PUBLIC CLIENT - NEW SPORTS PAVILION, SHRIVENHAM, OXFORDSHIRE

‘‘The Viscountess Barrington Trust commissioned A’Bear & Ball Architects to design a new sports pavilion on the recreation ground in Shrivenham. This project aims to provide the village with a new sports facility for a wide range of indoor sports as well as a much needed cricket pavilion for the successful Shrivenham cricket club. The brief was tricky because of the need to maximize the year round requirements of the community together with providing a bespoke cricket facility for the summer months, all within the constraints of a very tight budget. A’Bear & Ball were appointed after a rigorous competitive tendering procedure and very quickly provided the Trust with a range of sketch schemes based on the ideas discussed in the initial briefing. The result was an elegant modern design constructed from traditional materials which matched the existing listed arts and crafts styled Memorial Hall. The interior integrated the needs for changing facilities while providing plenty of space for a range of different sports and indoor activities as well as making a pleasant entertainment venue.

A’Bear & Ball carried out the RIBA Stages 1-4 including the preparation and submission of the drawings to the Local Authority initially for pre-application scrutiny and then for full planning permission followed by preparation of the Building Control and construction drawings. They also carried out the co-ordination of the various consultants required on the project including working with the Quantity Surveyor to provide a comprehensive Bill of Quantities to produce a definitive budget for the project. Throughout the design process both Rob and Damon worked closely with members of the Trust to meet the difficult requirements of the brief. At each stage they presented a clear set of drawings including a photo montage showing how the new pavilion integrated with the existing Memorial Hall. They also provided presentation drawings for community consultation and patiently explained the exigencies of the planning process to members of the Trust. They guided the client through the tender process and the selection of contractors. Throughout the process the architects have demonstrated their ability to meet the brief and produce an adventurous design while providing a thoroughly professional and effective service at every stage.’’

Ms Steinhardt

PRIVATE CLIENT - NEW DWELLING, HENLEY-ON-THAMES, OXFORDSHIRE

“Damon and Rob are a fantastic duo. They looked at what had been granted planning permission for a three-bedroom bungalow in the bottom of a garden and saw immediately what could be improved and opened up to make more light. They did some wonderful things to the design, making internal changes. I felt they were imaginative and listened well. I’d recommend them to anyone looking to do a self-build. Damon is also really knowledgeable with building and oversaw the whole project. He did a dynamite job’’

Mr and Mrs Hall

PRIVATE CLIENT - NEW DWELLING, GLEBE FARM, GLOUCESTERSHIRE

‘‘We are delighted with Rob’s design for our new family home at Glebe Farm. He came forward with a scheme that met all of our requirements and those of the Local Planning Department at Cotswold District Council. We are also very pleased that planning permission was obtained smoothly at the first attempt on what is a very sensitive rural site in the Cotswolds AONB.’’

Mr K, Bicester

PRIVATE CLIENT - EXTENSION AND REFURBISHMENT WORKS, BICESTER, OXFORDSHIRE

‘‘We talked to 3-4 different architects looking for someone who could bring fresh ideas to the table for our desire to extend our kitchen/dining/family living area into something contemporary and open plan, but at the same time something that would be architecturally striking versus a 'standard' formulaic rectangular extension + bi-folds.

After speaking to Rob from A'Bear & Ball Architects, he brought some completely fresh ideas to the table meeting the brief we gave and then worked with us to develop and refine a favoured scheme into the option we moved forward with. Throughout this design process Rob took on board our suggestions and then provided recommendations from experience, not only on architectural design but also on practicalities and choice of materials etc.

We used their services throughout the build, helping us in the tendering process with a thorough specification which enabled us to assess quotes from a number of building contractors and then acting as contract administrator through to build completion assessing quality of work and authorising stage payments, adjudicating fairly on any cost variations.

Very personable and easy to work with, we liked the intimacy of it being a new partnership at the time and the way they engaged - we even visited one of their houses to see first-hand the glazing system they were recommending!’’

Mr and Mrs Omotayo

PRIVATE CLIENT - SELF-BUILD HOME, BICESTER, OXFORDSHIRE

“We met Damon and Rob from A’ Bear & Ball Architects in January 2018 at a self-build event. Almost immediately we felt Damon and Rob understood and shared our design philosophy as contemporary architecture and self builds are their specialism. They were genuinely excited and energised at the opportunity to work with us. Their enthusiasm made us feel confident that they would be able to interpret and realise our self-build ambitions.

We worked with Damon, who had reassuringly completed his own self-build project. Damon provided us with concept and planning services, construction and tender drawings and principle design services under CDM.

We had a very succinct brief for Damon (height and natural light) and a rough concept drawing and layout to which Damon loosely based our final scheme. However, to our delight, he really rationalised the plan to make it as efficient as possible. He cleverly designed in elements that would future-proof our home, making it ‘Lifetime Home’ compliant and also unlocking more value in our property if we ever went on to sell in the future.

Each stage working with A’Bear & Ball Architects was smooth and clear and our obligations and responsibilities were always clearly defined. On occasions when decisions that needed to be made were coming at us thick and fast, Damon was always patient and flexible and was often able to come up with a solution that was flexible enough to decide later, but not so ambiguous as to render the design details vague.

When we decided to take on our own project management, Damon’s constructions details and drawings played the most vital role in helping us understand our self build for our own hands-on input and communicating our needs for the build to subcontractors so that we were able to deliver a self-build home followed through on the design intent to the letter. Quite a feat for first time self-builders with little experience.

Throughout the build if we ever needed to clarify our understanding on any aspect of our building, Damon was always on the other end of the phone or email to give comprehensible answers without condescension which we were so grateful for. A’Bear & Ball Architects added a lot of value to our project both financially and aesthetically, and we couldn’t be more thrilled at the result.”

Mr and Mrs Hyland

PRIVATE CLIENT - FULL REFURBISHMENT, EXTENSION AND ALTERATIONS, LITTLEWORTH, OXFORDSHIRE

“A’Bear & Ball Architects guided us through the whole process from inception through to the Construction drawings stage. The design really met and exceeded our expectations for what was achievable with this building.

We were keen to retain the character of the old chapel but blend that with modern architecture to provide a wonderful new family home. A’Bear & Ball Architects were able to achieve this very successfully with their design which restored the original chapel to its former glory and now offers a fantastic contemporary family home with amazing spaces, views and character.

The clear and concise Construction Information also allowed us to save money during the Construction Stage.”

Mr and Mrs Wilkins

PRIVATE CLIENT - EXTENSION AND REFURBISHMENT, SHRIVENHAM, OXFORDSHIRE

“We had seen an article on A’Bear and Ball Architects in a house building magazine and very much liked their contemporary designs; as they are local to us they were an obvious choice. Whilst we had a fairly clear idea of what we wanted to achieve in terms of the extension, our project had a particular challenge in so much as that any alterations could adversely affect other rooms within the downstairs layout.

Right from the initial meeting they shared our vision. Their friendly and inclusive approach meant that at all times we were at the centre of the project. Rob trod the perfect line between steering good decisions and allowing client input and suggestions. The result is that he designed and delivered a solution that not only delivers the space and practicality we outlined in our brief but is stunning to look at and complements the property beautifully.

A’Bear and Ball helped us manage all parts of the process from design, though planning to assisting in the selection of a suitable building contractor. When the project was at it’s most challenging Rob was always on hand to advise and support as required, often maintaining the momentum by suggesting alternative strategies. Given how stressful building anything can be it is testament to all involved that despite some delays and issues we had a very positive experience.

Should we embark on another project in the future, A’Bear and Ball will almost certainly be the architects. We simply could not be happier with the outcome and would, without caveat, recommend A’Bear and Ball Architects.”

Mr Hari

PRIVATE CLIENT - SELF-BUILD HOME, BICESTER, OXFORDSHIRE

“When I formally engaged Damon for the concept stages, I sent over various styles of homes that I liked, and at the initial stage, Damon proposed a design. Not only did he understand what I was looking to achieve, he met and exceeded my expectations and blew it away. His design stretched my imagination, my understanding of what was possible and realistic within my budget – it was amazing!

I would naturally continue with Damon for the planning and construction stages. Damon managed with the rest of the design, and we discussed all elements of the process, which allowed me to get up to speed and understand what was being produced. Damon took the time for me to understand all the elements. Even when we went through the structural and engineering drawings that were required by third parties, Damon managed them without any hesitation, push back and indeed managed the third parties exceedingly well.

When the construction was underway, Damon had absolutely no issue speaking with the various trades directly and to clarify any points. As this is a real-life project, there are naturally going to be some minor elements that will require fine tuning. Damon and the various trades were able to discuss them and come to a realistic practical and achievable outcome.

This shows to me that Damon is without a doubt client focused and client centric. Damon has strong communication skills with all levels of trades, structural teams and more and has been key through this whole process. I am convinced that my build would not have been as successful without Damon’s direct involvement.”

Jim Happe

DEVELOPER CLIENT - DIRECTOR OF BRIM DEVELOPMENTS AND RJAY DEVELOPMENTS

“Damon is a naturally talented architect and designer. He has a very good eye for cost-effective solutions. He is extremely client focussed and gets the ‘typical developer’ approach and the typical developer ‘drivers’. We need architects that help add value to our projects, and A’Bear & Ball Architects certainly do this right from Concept Design (re-jigging and re-designing of previously approved plans), right through to the 1:5 details and construction method and approach.

Damon has great cost-effective ideas but somehow manages to keep the detailing and construction methods ‘cheap to build’ and innovative, simplifying the whole process for me as a developer but with results that are of a high-quality finish. In summary, Damon adds a lot of value to our schemes, and we will continue using A’Bear & Ball Architects for the majority of our projects moving forwards.”

Rachel Spratling

BUSINESS COACH - DIRECTOR OF CHALKHILL BLUE

“I started working with Damon and Rob in October 2019. At this stage, it was just the two of them. One of the first things we worked on together was to gain clarity around what Damon and Rob wanted from A’Bear & Ball Architects both personally and in terms of the business they wanted to build.

One of the keys to both Partner’s individual success and that of the business, has been understanding the personality strengths that both Damon and Rob bring. When looking at DISC (a personality profiling tool), Damon is very task and goal focused which has been helpful in setting ambitious targets and challenging what is possible, but this is perfectly supported by Rob who is more people orientated and focused on the detail of getting the task done. This has also helped recruit a team that bring complementary skills themselves, while at the same time sharing the company’s clear values.

Watching A’Bear & Ball Architects grow over the last three years has been a real privilege. The talent, drive, focus and energy are visible for the world to see and I am confident that this will see the practice win more architectural accolades, while delivering on its vision to add value to the design of construction projects, not just financially, but to people’s livelihoods and wellbeing by creating fantastic living and working spaces.”