We can not recommend Keri Barr Architects highly enough. We had had thoughts of extending and remodelling our home for years and met with a few potential architects but nothing progressed until we began working with Keri. She produced plans that combined the ideas we had that were workable with ideas that we would never have thought about or realised were a possibility. This is a once in a lifetime project for us and so many elements of the journey we had never done before, or are likely to do again, and it was so useful and reassuring to have expert experienced guidance. Beyond the initial design process, Keri advised us in respect of gaining planning permission, liaising with building control and Thames Water and many more necessary agencies. Then gave us realistic guidance on our budget before managing the tender process for appointing a building contractor. Once a contractor was appointed, we retained Keri with what she refers to as her 'hand-holding' arrangement; again providing that reassurance and support as the building work happened. Like many people probably, I only really thought of architectural services in relation to creating designs but I would often comment on how wide and detailed Keri's knowledge is - such as knowing the thermal conducting properties of specific types of brick - which is so beneficial in making sure the builder is fulfilling what is needed in the fundamentals. Our house had so many issues before, being cold, small and impractical as just the headlines. It is wonderful to now be sitting in a fully insulated warm home with my feet snug due to the underfloor heating in a modern living area with natural light from all directions and plug sockets wherever I need them. Keri's knowledge, imagination and flair made this possible and we are very grateful. It was a pleasure working with her. She is the very definition of warm-professional and communication was always easy, which is absolutely key.
It was a joy to work with Keri on planning our new extension. She quickly keyed into what we wanted from the project and expertly guided us through a process that delivered a creative design that has fully met our expectations. At each stage, Keri guided us through making decisions with a welcome combination of technical expertise, aesthetic considerations and cost implications. The outcome has transformed what was a dark, cramped kitchen and wrap around conservatory into a bright, spacious kitchen and living area plus utility room and shower room. Throughout the process, Keri responded swiftly and expertly to enquiries and any issues arising, during the design and build processes. This not only gave us confidence, but invaluable advice and support to help us to overcome issues that were beyond our control. Her detailed preparation, knowledge and liaison with the structural engineer and the Building Inspector enabled these areas to progress without any issues arising. Keri was very responsive to our needs and always went above and beyond expectations in a thoroughly professional, accessible and friendly way. We have benefitted from having Keri as our architect and recommend her without hesitation.
Having no previous experience of appointing or working with an architect, I have no regrets in appointing Keri. She is incredibly professional, reassured and supported us through the design process, she listened to our requirements and proposed alternative options and designs, which really helped us focus in on what we wanted from our space, suggesting things we had never even thought of. Keri is incredibly knowledgeable and it was an absolute pleasure working with her to achieve our dream design.
Keri came recommended and from the first meeting, I had confidence that she’d nail the brief. We were impressed with her friendly professionalism (which sustained us through some building wobbles), her considered suggestions and her tireless desire to get it absolutely right for us. What I particularly liked about Keri was that, as a working mother with kids & dogs, she knew how to combine the aesthetics with the practical; sometimes it was just a tweak or an idea that I hadn’t thought of but it came from the understanding that a family home has to work on many levels & doesn’t just have to look good. Keri came up with several alternative layouts & provided a comprehensive spec to help make the tendering process easier. We absolutely love our house and that is, in no small part, down to the thoughtful input from Keri.
I would like to say how impressed my wife and I have been with Keri’s work in relation to our new house extension both with regard to the professional way in which she listened to and fully understood the brief together with the quality of her design proposals. After showing us various options for the new design and making our choice we were delighted with the professional manner and speed in which she had the design approved by both planning and building control. Our builders often commented during the construction process on the clever design making maximum use of space and light. Keri is a very hard working clever architect who takes great pride in her work with a professional approach and great customer focus. We would absolutely have no hesitation in recommending Keri.
I wanted open plan living downstairs to bring the family together in one space, but also utilise the existing areas in the house. I was keen to not lose any space in the existing bedrooms so I could retain them as double rooms but still maximise space in the loft room. Keri was fantastic and easy to work with. She came up with some great solutions and advice where needed. I had problems with the builders during the build and Keri was happy and able to assist so things could continue to give the results drafted.
Keri was knowledgeable, experienced and extremely patient throughout our house rebuild and extension. Our architectural drawings were excellent and suggestions provided were extremely helpful. There were lengthy delays due to our builders which was stressful however Keri did everything to help get the project running as smoothly as possible. I would recommend without hesitation.
We hired Keri to carry out our downstairs kitchen/living space extension, loft extension and porch/driveway alterations work. Keri has remained professional throughout - timely, courteous, reliable and patient. Keri has also given us advice and picked up on aspects which we would not have thought of, such as distances on the side of bed spaces to allow for side tables which do not adversely affect window space and lighting etc. Keri has been lovely to work with and we would highly recommend her services to friends and family.
We appointed KBA for our house extension and are very pleased we did. All aspects of Keri's work proved to be excellent, she worked closely with us on the design coming up with good ideas and producing impressive final drawings. Once our plans were submitted to Hertsmere Council, Keri followed them up with the planning department and building control ensuring that this phase was as quick and easy as possible. You will enjoy dealing with Keri, she is an excellent architect and a pleasure to work with.
We very much appreciated Ms Barr's professionalism and awareness of the important issues when drawing up plans and specification for our proposed extension. She was very responsive to our wishes and provided creative and practical solutions. The various stages of the design process were carried out effectively and promptly, providing us with ample opportunities to make any changes we thought appropriate. We highly recommend Ms Barr's services to anyone wishing to embark on a building project.
We had no previous experience of choosing an architect so I approached the task in a totally haphazard fashion. I simply went on the internet and picked the first local name that appealed to me. Sometimes you just get lucky! We felt really comfortable with Keri from the very start and looked no further. On the very first visit she examined our grim passageway, with the main sewer running underneath and the detached garage full of junk. From this discouraging sight she managed to envisage a large, airy extension and set about drawing up plans to give us the kitchen of our dreams. Getting the plans was only the first stage. It was a tricky task to bridge the sewer but Keri put us in touch with a structural engineer who drew up plans that would satisfy the water company's regulations. She then guided us through the process of getting the water company's approval, building regulations and planning permission. We couldn't believe how straight forward she made it as she kept us informed about every step we should take and she was just an e-mail away if we had any queries. At our request, Keri sent us the details of several builders she had worked with and advised us to ask to see their work then talk to their clients before committing ourselves. It was good advice and we did find a great builder. Now we have an amazing kitchen extension that blends in perfectly with the original house. The kitchen is flooded with light from the sky lights and large windows that look out onto both front and back gardens. We just love being in there. And better still, we got rid of most of the junk that was in the garage. It's in the shed!
We chose Keri based on her credentials, portfolio of work and proximity as we felt it was handy if the architect was familiar with the local area and the council. We wanted a new internal layout, a new second storey extension and a side garage. This was our first build project but Keri guided us through each and every stage of the planning and application stages in easy to understand terms. Any questions we had were answered quickly. When there were a few unexpected obstacles put in the way from the council and from building control, Keri handled them smoothly and the problems were soon resolved. We also made modifications to our original ideas and again, Keri modified her drawings and technical advice without any fuss. I can highly recommend her if you are doing any sort of building extension or new build project.
We hired Keri to provide architectural services for converting our bungalow into a two floor house by adding another floor. We are very impressed with her service and glad that we hired her for the work. She listened to us and gave us good suggestions. Our friends are all impressed with the plans. It was a complicated project, but her experience in dealing with planning department and large scale development was very useful. Even with lot of objections to our planning application, we got approval. She was efficient not only during planning process but also during building control. She went out of her way to help us in attaining structural drawings as we had some issues with our structural engineer. I've already referred her to my friends and would love to hire her again for any future projects.
