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rixonarchitects

Multi Award winning Cirencester based Architects

We also like to consider the connections with land We also like to consider the connections with landscape around rooms. Some rooms almost always need a direct connection with the garden such as the Family Kitchen or the Sitting Room.

Sometimes it’s also helpful to think of outside spaces as rooms too… considering the connection and flow between these outside spaces and the house. 

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We really love creating external covered areas aro We really love creating external covered areas around buildings to provide a great transitional space between the inside and the outside - they are great fun for kids, grown ups and dogs!

We do however have to balance these large glazed areas with solar gain - creating overheating with a large expanse of south facing doors. This can be cleverly managed by external solar shading and glazing technology.

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Every room should ideally have access to daylight. Every room should ideally have access to daylight. If it’s a deep building, it can be helpful to place the spaces which don’t need as much light, in the middle of the plan and then move the more critical rooms to the lighter areas. 

Doors and windows are not only cleverly placed to provide light, but to provide views out - sometimes targeted onto a particular view or garden feature! 

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Another factor when thinking about space, is ceili Another factor when thinking about space, is ceiling height.

We often like to open up the upper floor rooms to pose a roof void. This can make smaller space feel much larger. Equally, a double height Entrance Hall can really set the tone for the rest of the house. 

It’s also fun for the scale of the rooms to change as you move throughout the house to add drama and a story between the spaces…

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Some people prefer a large entrance hall - they ma Some people prefer a large entrance hall - they may have a large family who all want to put their shoes on at the same time!! 

Some people have dogs, so a larger than normal Boot Room can be more important to them. 

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By flow, we mean how people (and pets!) move thro By flow, we mean how people (and pets!) move through various spaces and how the feelings of those spaces change. 

The uses of those spaces must relate with each other. Understanding how the clients need the spaces to function, both with each other and on their own.

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When laying out the plan of a building, the first When laying out the plan of a building, the first principle is ‘Flow’. Without flow, everything else will fall down. We think this is the most critical component to any successful building. 

Once we have understood the brief; the various spaces required, the people who inhabit the building and how they relate to each other… we can then begin to lay out the spaces. Most often we have to work with an existing building, meaning optimising the flow can be hard.

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Our basic principles of design… It’s importa Our basic principles of design… 

It’s important to understand your building, both in practical terms and what is appropriate. 

We appreciate that building design and construction is more complicated than this and the wider process is often where experience and knowledge comes in. However, when it comes to the process of designing a house layout (or many other building types), we think there are seven basic principles. We use those basic principles to create what we call ‘Happy House’. 

Over the coming weeks, we’re going to outline what these are, with images of how we’ve used each one…

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Our library is more than just books—it’s where Our library is more than just books—it’s where our ideas begin!   Although we love a good book and podcast, this holiday season, we’re using this time to find new inspiration, allowing new ideas to germinate and ensure our projects are the best they can be.
Whether it’s getting the historical details right from “The Cotswold House” or picking up smart ideas about space from “The Traditional Townhouses of Kyoto,” these books help us create designs that are both fresh and respectful of the past. What book has influenced you the most? 

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We also love a good podcast to spark new ideas, es We also love a good podcast to spark new ideas, especially when we’re on the go. Jonathan’s playlist is a mix of all sorts of things! Jonathan loves Office Talk UK for a peek into other architectural firms, and The Business of Architecture for some industry insights. But Jonathan also gets great ideas from non-architectural podcasts like The Rest is History, Rethinking with Adam Grant, or Solved with Mark Manson.
We believe inspiration can come from anywhere! For example, a book about “The Traditional Townhouses of Kyoto” can give us unique ideas for how to use space in even our most modern projects. 

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Holiday season is here! ☀️ It’s the perfect Holiday season is here! ☀️ It’s the perfect time to relax and get inspired. Our team loves to use this time to dive into some of our favorite books. Jonathan’s top holiday read is “The Cotswold House” by Tim Jordan. It’s a great book for anyone interested in the local architecture, especially when we’re working on beautiful old listed buildings. We love how it helps us understand the timeless charm of the Cotswolds and keeps our designs true to their heritage. What’s on your reading list this summer?

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We’ve had some exciting discoveries, and sourced We’ve had some exciting discoveries, and sourced some incredible archive material, which were really looking forward to sharing when we open the building to the public at the end of October as part of Cirencester History Festival #oldstationworks You might also have caught Jonathan on BBC Radio Gloucestershire recently talking about the project and upcoming event!

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Jonathan has also been busy developing the Old Sta Jonathan has also been busy developing the Old Station works on site. We have various restoration specialists working on the building now, making hay while the sun shines. We’re keen to strike the scaffolding so we can progress the works, which should happen next month. Give us a follow on our IG page at @oldstationworks if you’re interested in seeing the project progress.

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RA monthly update…. Coming into the summer holid RA monthly update….
Coming into the summer holidays, this is our time to ‘catch up’. Many clients get busy juggling life during the school holidays, which is an ideal time to get our heads down and complete sizeable packages of work - often detailed design packs for projects which have achieved planning consents. 

We mean ‘achieved’ planning consent, as that is what it feels like - it’s well known the planning process is unpredictable and subjective, so every Consent really feels like a success, navigating so many consultees and opinions!

It’s also the time of year where homes complete from coming onto the market in Spring, so is also a busy time for Jonathan to visit potential projects and clients. 

Also, shout out to carpenter Steve Simpkins for some excellent and neat carpentry on one of our sites - the beginnings of a very complicated roof structure!!

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Then there’s timber effect porcelain, which if w Then there’s timber effect porcelain, which if wide and long enough can be really convincing. It super duper durable, and combined with underfloor heating is a force to be reckoned with. In fact, that’s the same with anything porcelain effect - it’s a marvel material which has come on leaps and bounds in the last ten years.

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Kitchen floors…. Modern sealants mean kitchens c Kitchen floors….
Modern sealants mean kitchens can work well with timber floors - Jonathan has tested a timber floor in his own kitchen, is ten years in and no signs of struggle. 

How you intend to heat your kitchen can impact your floor choice. If it’s not underfloor heated, a stone based floor (which includes porcelain based) can be cold under foot - which is fine if you wear slippers or socks indoors. If the floor is underfloor heated, it won’t be cold in winter months, especially if it’s heated by an air source heat pump. If it’s not underfloor heated and you tend not to wear slippers in the house, then the balance might shift towards timber.

Timber floors are always engineered timber, so they have a plywood backing which reduces movement. Timber is naturally warmer underfoot, so doesn’t need underfloor heating to be comfortable. So if you don’t wear slippers or socks, you’ll be perfectly comfortable. Saying that, underfloor heating only makes it more comfortable! Modern sealants mean the timber is really durable, will stand the test of time, and has a warm finish.

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If you’re a client of ours, we’ve probably had If you’re a client of ours, we’ve probably had at least one of these conversations!

Example 1: Sliding doors or bifold doors? Advances in glazing technology means we can have large areas of glass to connect the indoors to the outdoors - light and connection, and more importantly flow. 

Sliding doors have really narrow sight lines when they’re closed, often under 25mm, as the doors stack one in front of the other. So 300(ish) days per year you get a largely uninterrupted view of the outdoors. The downside is that they generally open onto one fixed pane - so two panels might open onto one fixed one, meaning you can’t have the whole width open. Also, sliding doors can be a bit of a faff - they slide rather than conventionally hinged with a handle, which can put some people off. 

Alternatively, bi fold doors can open pretty much the whole width of the opening. But. For the 300 days of the year where they’re closed, you have a lot more frame to look at - normally over 150mm as compared with sliding doors 25mm. One advantage is there is always a pass door, which is a normal operating hinged door, which we all know, and is faultless. 

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Here’s a few more common conundrums that we ofte Here’s a few more common conundrums that we often discuss with clients….big contractor or small one?
bath or shower?
fossil fuels or renewables?
cavity masonry or timber frame?
natural stone roof tiles, reconstituted stone roof tiles or slate roof tiles? Or metal??
PIR or sheep’s wool insulation?
Refurbishment/extension or new build replacement?
Traditional or modern design?
Vaulted ground floor space, or additional upper floor space?
Sound familiar? stay tuned for our tips on these topics over the next few weeks. 

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Here are a handful of typical conundrums we help c Here are a handful of typical conundrums we help clients decide, some of which we’ll go into more detail in the next few weeks, and some are more self explanatory!
timber or timber effect porcelain floors?
natural stone or stone effect porcelain?
sliding or bifold doors?
timber or plastic or metal window/door frames?
Radiators or underfloor heating?

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There are some common themes, or topics of convers There are some common themes, or topics of conversation, or decisions which happen across our projects, regardless of building use, architectural style, or scale. These ‘common conundrums’ are often personal preferences which can’t be second guessed. Sometimes Jonathan sounds like a stuck record when discussing these common conundrums with clients, so we thought we’d share a few examples here over the coming weeks for you all to consider, and maybe even apply to your projects. 

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Old Station Works, Cirencester GL7 1RQ
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