Modern Residential Architecture
Choosing the right architectural team is the foundation of a successful home. We combine design clarity, planning expertise and a trusted professional network to deliver refined homes with confidence, efficiency and discretion.
Designing Sustainable New Homes and Refined Residential Transformations
As a leading residential architecture firm, we aim to create a result that perfectly utilises the space and unique assets of each house built, extension or refurbishment.
When searching for a residential architect near you, it’s important to choose a practice with experience in projects similar to your own. Looking for residential architects in London? Visit our London architects page.
The Evolution of the Modern Residence
Contemporary residential architecture is defined by clarity of form, spatial fluidity, and environmental performance. At AURA, modern homes are conceived as cohesive architectural compositions where structure, light, and landscape exist in continuous dialogue.
Our approach moves beyond conventional open-plan layouts to create spaces that feel both expansive and carefully articulated. Through the use of split levels, framed thresholds, and sculptural internal volumes, we establish distinct zones for living, working, and retreat while preserving a strong sense of openness and visual continuity.
This layered approach allows spaces to remain connected without sacrificing privacy, acoustic comfort, or spatial definition.
The relationship between interior and exterior is central to the modern residence. Expansive structural glazing, carefully positioned apertures, and uninterrupted sightlines allow natural light to animate the architecture throughout the day, dissolving the boundary between built form and surrounding landscape.
Performance is embedded within the architecture itself. High-efficiency building envelopes, low-carbon construction principles, and intelligent environmental systems are integrated from the earliest design stages, ensuring that the residence is not only visually refined but also responsive to the demands of contemporary living and future sustainability.
The Geometry of Elevated Living
At its best, residential architecture is the careful composition of space, light, proportion, and material. At AURA, our work is guided by the belief that a home should feel both architecturally disciplined and emotionally resonant—an environment shaped as much by atmosphere as by structure.
We approach each residence as an exploration of balance: between openness and intimacy, form and function, stillness and movement. Through the considered use of volume, verticality, and natural light, we create spaces that unfold with clarity and quiet drama. Double-height voids, framed sightlines, and carefully calibrated transitions between rooms allow the home to reveal itself gradually, creating a sense of depth and spatial rhythm.
Materiality is central to this experience. Stone, timber, metal, and plaster are selected not simply for appearance, but for texture, permanence, and the way they evolve over time. Every surface is chosen to contribute to a coherent architectural language—one that feels restrained, tactile, and enduring.
Each home is conceived as a singular response to its setting and the life it will hold. Rather than imposing a predetermined style, we shape an architecture that feels rooted in context and deeply personal to its occupants, creating spaces that are both timeless in form and unmistakably individual.
"Bringing creative vision to your home"
AURA Modern Residential Architecture is a design studio of architects and interior designers dedicated to crafting bespoke homes for private clients. Our work focuses on maximising space and natural light to create refined, light-filled environments where timeless elegance meets sustainable, energy-efficient design.
Our Bespoke Process
Step 1
Getting Started
Get started by completing our contact form.
We’ll then be in touch with you to chat about your project, and recommend that you book in a Home or Video consultation. This is so we can meet you, and chat about your ideas, constraints and brief.
Alternatively, if you want to get your project moving faster and explore your project’s options & costs, take a look at our Concept Feasibility Package.
Step 2
Initial Desktop Study & Meeting
We will carry out a desktop study of your property to understand how we can best achieve your ideal home. This will include searches on nearby planning applications, looking at satellite and street view images of your property, and research in to local Planning Authority Policies.
We can then meet at your home to discuss your requirements. Once we know what you’re looking to achieve we will provide a written quotation of our design fees.
Step 3
Choice of Designs
We will generally provide 3 design options for you to consider, this will include floor plans and may include 3D images so that you can visualise your new home
Step 4
Managing Planning Application
We will make any relevant Planning Applications on your behalf and act as your agent throughout the process. Your local council will have a 2 week validation period and the application will be reviewed within 8-12 weeks.
You will receive a Decision Notice after this time. This process is not necessary if your scheme falls within your Permitted Development Rights.
Step 5
Maintaining Standards & Working With Building Control
This stage is crucial to ensure you are completing your project to current design standards.
We produce the relevant drawings and specifications and act as your agent in the approvals process. A member of a professional control body (local council or an Approved Inspector) will check our plans for compliance and visit your home at various stages in the construction process to check your builder is carrying out the works to the standards expected.
Step 6
Looking After The Finishing Touches
Although the Building Regulations drawings will give your builder enough information to build your project safely and to the latest regulations, they will not provide information on the finishing details.
The Specification of Works will detail the required internal finishes, wall coverings, floor coverings, bespoke joinery, and electrical and heating layouts amongst other finishing touches.
Step 7
Interior Design
Once the detailed design is complete, it’s your chance to complete your home by choosing the Interior Design items. We offer various Interior Design packages, to suit your home and budget.
To find out more, see our fees page!
![Planning permission application rejection [2024]](https://aurahomes.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/construction-materials-scaled.jpg)
Step 8
Finding The Right Builder
We have good relationships with many building contractors and tradesmen and will send out a Tender package (including the drawings and specification of works) to 3-4 contractors to provide you with a comprehensive and competitive project price for your works.
We can arrange for all contracts to be drawn up, and will include information on relevant Health and Safety, and your responsibilities under the latest Construction, Design and Management (CDM) Regulations.
Step 9
Site Monitoring
We all lead busy lives, so AURA offer a Site Monitoring service to take the hassle away from you and keep an eye on your contractors. We generally visit site twice a week (unless agreed otherwise) and provide a short report including pictures of the progress made on your home improvement works.
Designing Homes with Lasting Character
Every project begins with a clear design ethos rooted in clarity, craftsmanship and permanence. As residential architects, these values guide how spaces are shaped, how materials are selected and how homes are experienced over time.
Our process is led by careful listening. By understanding how you live today—and how you want to live in the future—we create homes that feel considered, personal and quietly confident.
Collaboration remains central from the earliest concepts through to completion, ensuring each decision supports both lifestyle and function.
We work across the full range of residential projects, from contemporary new-build homes to the sensitive transformation of heritage and listed properties.
Whether refining an existing structure or creating something entirely new, we balance creative vision with technical precision to deliver homes defined by quality, restraint and enduring appeal.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does our studio do?
We design and oversee the construction of homes. They ensure your home meets safety standards, stays within budget, and aligns with your vision.
Do I need residential architect for a home extension or refurbishment?
Yes. A residential architect can help maximise space, improve layout and natural light, ensure compliance with planning regulations, and add long-term value to your property.
What types of residential projects do you work on?
We work on a huge variety of projects, ranging from internal alterations to large extensions and basements. We also have huge experience working on heritage buildings, as well as complete new builds.
Are you RIBA chartered architects?
Yes, we are RIBA-Chartered Architects, which means we meet professional standards for design quality, ethics, and technical competence.
Can you help with planning permission?
Yes. We manage the full planning application process, liaising with local authorities and preparing all required drawings and documents.
Do you work on projects in conservation areas or listed buildings?
Yes. We have experience working with conservation areas and listed buildings, carefully balancing design innovation with heritage and planning constraints.
How sustainable are your designs?
Sustainability is central to our approach. We design energy-efficient homes that maximise natural light, improve thermal performance and reduce environmental impact.
Can you help find a builder?
Yes. We can assist with tendering, reviewing builder quotes, and helping you select the right contractor for your project.
Do you offer interior design as well?
Yes. Interior design services can be integrated into the architectural process to ensure a cohesive design from structure to finishes. We also offer interior design as a standalone service.
How much does a residential architect cost?
Fees vary depending on the size, complexity and scope of the project. We provide clear, tailored fee proposals after an initial consultation.
What is your residential design process?
Our process typically includes an initial consultation, design development, planning submission, technical drawings, builder coordination and site monitoring.
How long does a residential project take?
Timelines vary depending on project scale and planning requirements. Small extensions may only take a few months, while larger refurbishments or new builds take longer.
How do I find the best architects near me?
If you are looking for architects near you in London or the Home Counties, AURA offers residential architecture, planning and interior design services tailored to private homes and luxury residential projects.
Do you work with local architects in my area?
Yes, our team works across London and the surrounding areas, including Surrey, Kent, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire.
What areas do you cover?
We provide residential architecture services across London and the surrounding Home Counties, including Surrey, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire.
Modern Home Architecture
As modern home residential architects, we design spaces that respond to how people live and work today—and how they will in the future. Our work is rooted in clarity, adaptability, and thoughtful design, creating architecture that performs as well as it looks.
We provide architectural services across both residential and commercial projects, from contemporary homes to workplaces and mixed-use spaces. Every project begins with understanding purpose, experience, and long-term value
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Driven by a dynamic, collaborative team, we combine fresh thinking with proven expertise to deliver architecture that is forward-looking, practical, and built to endure.