John Norfolk Architects Ltd

Ryan Ashley
5 Star
We purchased a redundant milking parlour and having worked with John previously we were more than happy to engage his services again. John took time to understand our lifestyle requirements and then delivered a spectacular family home. John is very professional but also very approachable which made working with him a pleasure. John handled all aspects of the planning process for us and kept us informed at every stage. We felt part of the design process and the finished product exceeded our expectations. We will certainly work with John on our future projects and would not hesitate to recommend him to others.
Wednesday 23rd March 2022

phil smith
5 Star
I would have no hesitation in recommending John to carry out any architectural work. I carried out a self build project which took a number of years to complete. There was a number of different elements to the project , which required careful design and good communication between both of us. The build was completed on budget to a very high standard, John,s attention to detail and compliance to building regulations is very apparent and it shows in his high standard of work. His people skills are also very good which helps a lot when issues arise and need to be resolved. In essence a very good architect and someone who you can trust to deliver a high quality build .....thoroughly recommend
Tuesday 25th August 2020

Elizabeth Harrison
5 Star
John Norfolk designed and project managed the building of my "home suitable for my later years". The home that I now live in has exceeded all my hopes and expectations.IT is low maintenance, easy to manage and low running cost. John listens, tactfully and gently advises and designs to the highest standards whilst staying within budget. The project was not an easy one to fulfil. The land was in a conservation area so there were hoops to jump concerning style, building materials and function all of which John skillfully managed. Whatever the criteria of your build I am confident that you could not find a more reliable, knowledgeable, skillful and trustworthy architect than John.
Wednesday 26th August 2020

Brian and Julie Woods
5 Star
John designed and managed a series of major alterations to our Grade 2 listed Georgian town house in Preston. He listened to our own ideas then made suggestions which were clearly more appropriate. We were kept up to date with the work throughout the project and the end result was superb. I would certainly recommend John: a pleasure to deal with him.
Wednesday 26th August 2020

Warren Winfield
5 Star
We have no hesitation in recommending John for architectural projects and we are pleased to provide a few insights on what to expect if he works on a project. We set out to redesign an old barn conversion to make better use of the space, make it suit our lifestyle and to enjoy a more contemporary feel. The project was large and would involve structural changes and I must admit that although we knew which rooms we wanted to alter, we were at a loss to know where to begin. When John arrived, he spent a great deal more time talking to us about family and lifestyle than building layouts. He was very interested to find out what and why we wanted to change, and see what benefit we thought we might gain. Then he inspected the property and left to come up with some preliminary sketches. Following a formal survey of the building, John returned with a comprehensive set of drawings and explained to us carefully why we didn’t like the present layout and why we didn’t feel comfortable and secure there. (It’s all about bears and caves but I won’t steal his thunder here). He took us through alternatives which answered most of our doubts and questions and gave us a road map of how we would get though this project. Still lots of decisions to make, many where we would have to wait and see what the builders uncovered, but it all looked much less daunting. Let me throw in a few adjectives here. John is honest. Honest about what is achievable, honest with his dealing with the builder and planners. Honest, but very tactful when we were asking for something which would take the project away from his vision of ‘timeless classic contemporary’ John is conscientious. It had to be done correctly. If John could work with the builder to reduce cost by using different products or altering a method then that was ok, but he wouldn’t allow shortcuts and I’ve seen him spot something not up to scratch and cause the builder to quickly agree to change it with a simple look and a smile. This was invaluable to us, knowing what is and isn’t acceptable and what is realistic to achieve. I’m sure this prevented a few disagreements along the way. John is knowledgeable which is immense help when it comes to choosing fittings and fixtures which can be a bit daunting at times. He has a way of reducing the choices down to a handleable size whether it be skylights, lighting, door furniture, floor coverings… and of course much more. He is also keen to look at new ideas and check them out to see if they offer a better solution. John is very flexible and was ready to accept that the design might have to change as we uncovered unexpected items. To be fair the builder was also very helpful in this respect and between them I think we achieved far more that we might have done if we didn’t have John and him compromising on overruns and also possible cost savings. And whilst we were changing things and working through the options, what was very helpful is that John gets back to you. He never leaves you waiting for an answer which meant we knew pretty much exactly what was going on at all times. John is supportive. There was a long tail at the end of the project whilst we waited for the builder to return and rectify some items. For one reason or another this time dragged on a lot more than it should have but John stayed on the case and kept in contact with us and the builder until the job was eventually resolved. This chasing up and advice was far and above the agreed project but John has always refused payment for it and we appreciate that a great deal. Which brings me to costs. The project was quite large and we understood that John would need to spend a substantial amount of time on it both on site and in the background. Savings John made certainly offset some of this cost but even without those savings we agree that payment for John's services was by far the most value for money item on the project. We are happy for John to pass on our details to any prospective customers.
Tuesday 6th April 2021