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20 March 2025

Progress on Site, House Extension in Wilmslow

Fasciato Architects Blog Architect Designed, Brick details, Cheshire Architects, House Extension, Loft conversion, Wilmslow Architects

We’re excited to see this house extension in Wilmslow coming together on-site.

This project is a significant extension and renovation to a home in Wilmslow and the photos show the changes we’re making. As Architects, we consider the inside and outside at the same time which results in thoughtful and contemporary responses. This is unique to our role and is what our clients love about what we do.

As part of our approach to the design, we are addressing the fractured layout and the lack of light by increasing ceiling heights, creating new openings and simplifying the shape of the rooms. We are also adding new details through the brickwork and internal glazing which will look amazing.

We love getting involved in the interiors too, and it’s amazing to see the volumes starting to take shape. We’ll share more as it progresses.

20 March 2025

Reinventing an industrial gem in Manchester

Fasciato Architects Blog flat, heritage, industrial heritage, interior design, mezzanine

We’ve been tasked with transforming a slightly tired flat in an old Tobacco Factory, originally converted 25 years ago. Our client wanted to unlock more space by embracing the soaring factory ceilings—so we introduced a mezzanine for a home office and extra living area over the kitchen.

To access it, we designed a custom step ladder built into a full-height bookcase—blending function with personality. Plus, we’re replacing the existing stair to the bedroom with a striking metal-and-timber winding stair, tying the whole space together with a cohesive, industrial-inspired feel.

We’re all about joyful materiality, celebrating the building’s heritage (hello, exposed metal trusses!) while bringing in fresh energy. Our ideas come to life through detailed drawings, immersive 3D models, and tactile 3D prints—because great design is meant to be experienced.

1 February 2020

Bracken Close, Marple Bridge

Fasciato Architects Portfolio

Bracken Close, Marple Bridge

Our clients approached us after purchasing a tired mid century dormer bungalow in Marple Bridge, set on a steep, dramatic site with an undercroft garage and brilliant views across the surrounding hills. The house had potential, but its layout and appearance no longer suited contemporary family life. Our brief was to reimagine the building both inside and out, converting the undercroft garage into a new lower ground floor, adding a loft conversion and reshaping the external character of the home.

The new lower ground floor became the heart of the transformation. By converting the former garage into a generous kitchen and dining space, and removing a portion of the existing ground floor to insert a new staircase, we created a striking double height volume that flooded the interior with natural light. This new space opened directly onto the split level garden, dramatically improving the relationship between the house and its steeply sloping site. The ground floor living room was also connected to the lower level and garden through an internal balcony with windows that could be opened or closed, allowing the clients to modulate the sense of openness and connection.

Drawing of east elevation of detached house

Drawing of north elevation of detached house

Drawing of west elevation of detached house

Relocating the kitchen and dining spaces to the new lower floor unlocked opportunities throughout the rest of the house. We introduced a new utility room, improved coat storage and reversed the staircase to create a more intuitive circulation route. A new ground floor extension provided a larger, more functional home office to support the clients’ business.

Externally, the house underwent a complete redefinition. We added pitched roofs to the existing flat roofed dormers, porch and new office, giving the building a more coherent and characterful silhouette. The existing walls were over clad in a combination of render and timber, transforming the appearance of the house and giving it a contemporary warmth that complemented its hillside setting. The choice of materials and interior finishes was developed to create a modern family home with a strong sense of identity.

Drawing of front elevation and drive view of detached house

Drawing of rear elevation of detached house

Drawing of garden view of detached house

The steep rear garden was redesigned to work with the natural topography rather than against it. A new raised deck created a direct connection to the split level interior and provided a generous sitting and dining terrace overlooking the landscape. The project was planned as a phased transformation over several years, allowing the clients to realise the full potential of their home in a considered and manageable way.

31 January 2020

Kenmore, Timperley

Fasciato Architects Portfolio

Kenmore, Timperley

Kenmore is one of those rare 1930s houses that immediately captures the imagination. Distinctive, full of charm and rich in original character, it had a presence that was impossible to ignore. We were smitten from the moment we first saw it, and our clients felt exactly the same. They had lived there for years and had already extended once, but the layout still wasn’t supporting the rhythm of their growing family. They needed more bedrooms, better flow and the ability to future proof the home for elderly relatives, all without losing the warmth and personality that made Kenmore so special.

The brief called for sensitivity and ambition in equal measure. Our clients wanted the house to evolve, but they didn’t want to dilute its character. They wanted more space, but not at the expense of the house’s distinctive silhouette. They wanted modern comfort, but with a design language that felt rooted in the original architecture. This balance became the driving force behind the entire project.

We responded with a carefully crafted addition that celebrated the existing house rather than overshadowing it. Drawing inspiration from the steeply pitched roof and the rich brickwork of the original 1930s architecture, we designed a new extension crowned with a pyramidical roof. This bold yet sympathetic form allowed the new volume to feel both contemporary and entirely at home. A flat roofed glazed link connected the extension to the main house, creating a light, elegant threshold that allowed the new and old to sit comfortably side by side. At first floor level, we extended above the existing garage, echoing the steep roof form to maintain the rhythm and proportions that define Kenmore’s character.

Inside, the new spaces were designed to feel generous, uplifting and seamlessly integrated. The ground floor extension created a flexible, family focused environment that supported everyday life while enhancing the connection to the garden. The first floor addition provided the extra bedroom and office space the family needed, ensuring the house could adapt as their lives evolved.

One of the most exciting challenges lay within the roof. The clients wanted a full loft conversion and new stair, but without the use of dormers. This constraint became an opportunity for creativity. We positioned the stair in the steepest part of the existing roof, allowing us to carve out a surprisingly generous volume. Large, stacked rooflights were introduced to bring daylight deep into the space, transforming what could have been a dark attic into a bright, uplifting retreat. The result was extraordinary: a light filled loft that feels more like a teenager’s dream apartment than a typical conversion, complete with dramatic light, generous height and a sense of escape.

Throughout the project, our aim was to honour the spirit of this remarkable 1930s home while giving the family the space, comfort and future resilience they needed. Every decision was made with care, from the roof forms to the brick detailing to the way light moves through the new spaces. The additions enhance the house’s charm, amplify its character and ensure it can continue to evolve with the people who love it.

Kenmore now feels both timeless and transformed: a joyful blend of heritage and contemporary living, and a home ready for the next chapter of family life.

30 January 2020

Housing Development, Hale

Fasciato Architects Portfolio

Housing Development, Hale

This compact site in Hale presented a rare opportunity: to create two four bedroom homes within a conservation area while meeting the expectations of a competitive local market. The challenge was not simply to fit two substantial houses onto a constrained plot, but to do so with architectural confidence, commercial clarity and a sensitivity to the character of the surrounding streetscape.

From the outset, the project demanded a highly strategic approach. Working closely with the client, we developed a series of layout options that explored different room configurations, orientations and relationships to neighbouring gardens. Each option balanced market appeal, construction efficiency and planning constraints, ensuring that the final scheme would be both commercially viable and architecturally robust.

Our design process was grounded in a detailed study of Hale’s vernacular architecture. The conservation area is defined by a rich mix of traditional forms, materials and proportions, and our aim was to create contemporary homes that sit comfortably within this context without resorting to pastiche. The resulting designs take cues from the local character while offering a fresh, modern interpretation suited to twenty first century living.

Large, well proportioned rooms, generous glazing and carefully framed views give the homes a sense of openness and quality that aligns with market expectations in Hale. At the same time, the massing, rooflines and material palette are calibrated to respect the conservation area, ensuring the development enhances rather than overwhelms its setting.

The project balances design ambition with commercial pragmatism. It delivers two distinctive, contemporary homes that respond to local demand while navigating the sensitivities of a protected context. The result is a development that feels both confident and respectful, modern yet rooted, and fully aligned with the expectations of buyers seeking high quality living in one of Hale’s most desirable neighbourhoods.

29 January 2020

Apex Storage Retail Fit Out

Fasciato Architects Portfolio

Apex Storage Retail Fit Out

This project began with a clear ambition from our client to break away from the predictable, utilitarian feel that defines most self storage reception spaces. As an established company with sites across industrial estates, they wanted something far more vibrant and engaging: a reception and retail environment that would surprise customers, energise staff and express their brand with confidence.

We responded by developing a lively and contemporary interior that reimagined the company’s branding colours in a fresh, modern way. Rather than simply applying the palette to walls and signage, we explored how these colours could shape the atmosphere of the space, creating a bright and uplifting environment that felt both professional and approachable. The result was a reception area that immediately set a new tone for the business, signalling quality and care from the moment customers stepped inside.

A key part of the brief was to create a relaxed and comfortable setting for discussing new business. We designed a welcoming consultation area with soft seating, warm lighting and a layout that encouraged easy conversation. Adjacent to this, we introduced a retail zone with high quality display units that presented products clearly and attractively, elevating what is often an overlooked part of the customer journey.

Materiality played a central role in the design. To reinforce the connection between the interior and the nature of the business, we selected materials associated with storage and logistics, including metal and plywood. These were chosen not only for their durability but also for their ability to convey a subtle industrial aesthetic in a refined, contemporary manner. The combination of robust materials, bold colour and clean detailing created a space that felt purposeful yet polished.

The final interior transformed the customer experience, turning a typically functional environment into a bright, engaging and brand forward space. It demonstrated how thoughtful design can elevate even the most utilitarian building type, strengthening identity and enhancing the everyday interactions between staff and customers.

Front elevation drawing of The Wolfsburg aparthotel

28 January 2020

The Wolfsburg Aparthotel, London

Fasciato Architects Portfolio

The Wolfsburg Aparthotel, London

A new apartment hotel development on the edge of London, The Wolfsburg Aparthotel was created through the extension and conversion of an existing building. Our clients came to us with the seed of an idea; we saw the opportunity to shape a destination. We provided full interior design services while also rethinking the building layout and navigating the statutory regulations that shaped what was possible.

From the outset, we worked closely with our clients to develop a concept that pushed the project far beyond their initial expectations. Through bold spatial thinking and immersive visualisation, we helped them see how the building could become a vibrant, contemporary aparthotel with a strong identity and a memorable guest experience. Our design package included four distinct apartment types, each with its own character and atmosphere, as well as a cohesive overall building layout that balanced efficiency with delight.

We also designed a cool, welcoming front‑of‑house space, a café‑bar with a relaxed urban energy and an outdoor events area that extended the life of the building beyond its walls. Every space was carefully planned to appeal not only to guests but also to the wider public, ensuring the aparthotel would feel open, social and connected to its neighbourhood. Discreet security was integrated throughout, maintaining safety without compromising the sense of ease and hospitality.

Our visualisation work played a central role in the project. Through detailed 3D models, atmospheric interior imagery and clear spatial narratives, we enabled the clients to experience the future building long before construction. These tools allowed them to understand the full potential of the scheme — and ultimately to embrace a more ambitious, vibrant and commercially successful vision than they had imagined at the outset.

The Wolfsburg became a strong example of how we work across the country: bringing design clarity, imaginative thinking and a collaborative approach that helps clients see possibilities they didn’t know existed.

Computer Generated Image of House at Wood Street

27 January 2020

Second Wood Street Development, Nantwich

Fasciato Architects Portfolio

Second Wood Street Housing Development, Nantwich

Our clients approached us with the ambition to create new homes within a listed derelict walled garden in the historic centre of Nantwich. The site sits within a conservation area, and from the outset they were keen to explore how many dwellings it might reasonably accommodate while still creating desirable, contemporary homes. As we began to analyse the site, it became clear that its heritage status, conservation area setting, landscape character and environmental constraints would play a significant role in shaping what could be taken forward.

The walled garden itself shaped the project from the beginning. Once part of a larger historic estate, it had fallen into disrepair, but its proportions, enclosure and sense of history offered a unique opportunity. Its location within the conservation area added another layer of sensitivity, requiring a careful balance between new development and the preservation of the area’s distinctive character. Through early feasibility work and discussions with the local authority, we helped the clients understand the likely parameters for development and the importance of responding to the conservation area context. This early clarity guided the project in a direction that balanced ambition with heritage responsibility.

Second Wood Street Development, Nantwich

The architecture takes its cues from Nantwich’s timbered and gabled buildings, which contribute so strongly to the conservation area’s identity. Traditional materials are used in a contemporary manner, with timber and glazed gables forming the entrances to each dwelling. These elements create a strong sense of identity while referencing the town’s historic fabric. Steps in the roof lines and changes in eaves levels echo the varied roofscape of the surrounding streets, allowing the new homes to feel rooted in the layers of local history.

Each three bedroom house is organised around a double height glazed hall that brings light deep into the plan and creates a generous sense of arrival. This central space acts as the heart of the home, connecting the living areas, the first floor and the views out to the walled garden.

A key part of the brief was to support modern working patterns. Both homes include a dedicated first floor office with its own separate entrance to the rear, allowing residents to work from home without compromising privacy or the day to day life of the household. This arrangement offers a professional, self contained workspace that can operate independently from the main living areas, making the homes particularly attractive to buyers who need flexibility in how they live and work.

The layout and positioning of the houses were carefully developed around the protected trees within the walled garden. These mature trees provide structure, shade and character, and their presence informed the orientation and massing of the new dwellings. The homes are also designed to sit above the flood plain of the adjacent river, ensuring long term resilience while maintaining a strong relationship with the landscape.

Throughout the process, we worked closely with our clients to ensure that the design met their aspirations while responding to the complexities of the conservation area, the listed garden and the environmental constraints. The result is a pair of homes that feel both contemporary and deeply connected to their historic context, offering modern comfort within a setting shaped by centuries of local character.

Second Wood Street demonstrates how thoughtful, context driven design can bring new life to a heritage site, creating homes that feel rooted, distinctive and forward looking. It also highlights the value of our early concept design work for clients embarking on complex residential projects, helping them understand what is possible, how to navigate constraints and how to move from ambition to a clear, confident design direction.

Brick Built House with Side Extension - Willowbank

26 January 2020

Willowbank, Mobberley

Fasciato Architects Portfolio

Willowbank, Mobberley

This project began with a simple but transformative ambition: to reimagine a semi detached house in a Cheshire village and create a generous sequence of family spaces centred around a kitchen and dining room. From the outset, the house’s position overlooking open fields shaped the design. The extension was conceived to strengthen the home’s relationship with its landscape, drawing the outside in and making the most of its rural setting.

Uniquely, the project was built by the client themselves with our guidance throughout. Their hands on involvement brought a personal, crafted quality to the process and ensured that every detail was carefully considered.

The existing rear extensions and outhouses were removed to make way for a contemporary two storey timber framed addition. This allowed us to reorganise the ground floor around a spacious kitchen and dining room positioned to capture long views across the fields. Supporting spaces including a cloakroom, ground floor WC and utility room were neatly integrated to maintain clarity and openness. On the first floor, the extension accommodates an additional bedroom with a Juliet balcony offering an elevated retreat with uninterrupted views of the surrounding countryside.

The family room takes the form of a conservatory accessed directly from the kitchen and dining space. Designed with a highly insulated roof and a central glass lantern, it avoids the thermal issues of traditional conservatories while offering a bright, comfortable room that feels immersed in the garden and landscape beyond.

Materially, the extension is expressed with clarity and simplicity. Stained timber boarding gives the new volume warmth and tactility, while the conservatory’s lead cladding adds a crafted architectural richness. Together, these materials help the extension settle naturally into its rural context.

Internally, the renovation reshapes the house for modern living, improving circulation and strengthening the relationship between inside and outside. The result is a home that balances contemporary design with the character of the original building, embracing the landscape and celebrating the views that define its setting. It also stands as a testament to what can be achieved when a client builds their own home with architectural guidance and a shared vision.

Computer Generated Image of New Build House

25 January 2020

Jessiefield, Didsbury

Fasciato Architects Portfolio

Jessiefield, Didsbury

Jessiefield, a 1937 house in south Manchester, had not been touched since the 1980s and was ready for a thoughtful, comprehensive transformation. What followed was a project shaped by care, craft and a deep respect for the original architecture, balanced with a confident contemporary extension that expanded the home for modern living.

The outdated garage was removed to make way for substantial side and rear extensions containing a games room, wine cellar, cinema room, utility room, double garage and a twelve metre swimming pool with an adjoining gym. These new spaces form a deliberate contrast to the untouched 1930s house, contemporary in expression yet crafted with the same attention to detail that defines the original building.

The extensive loft was converted to create an additional storey, complete with a new rear gable and projecting balcony to maximise views and light. At the front, a larger porch was introduced, carefully detailed in red brick and clay tiles to echo the existing architecture and restore a sense of presence that had been lost over decades of inactivity.

The contrast between old and new is intentional and clearly articulated. Extensions closest to the original house adopt its proportions and materiality, while the rear extension embraces a more modern language. Its lower eaves height and brick construction nod to the 1930s form, while the shallow standing seam metal roof and steeply pitched lantern bring a contemporary clarity. Tall, slim openings align with the lantern to frame views of the garden, and a fully glazed elevation opens the pool to the landscape beneath a protective canopy formed by the extended roof.

A slender glazed link separates the new extension from the original house, creating a clear visual break between the two architectural styles and allowing each to be appreciated on its own terms.

Every element of Jessiefield was designed and executed with care, from the brickwork to the metal roof, from the lantern to the glazed link. The result is a home that honours its 1930s character while embracing a confident contemporary addition, united by craft, detail and a clear architectural vision.