Planning an extension, renovation, new-build, or commercial development in Bath? Our architectural team works with both homeowners and commercial clients to deliver designs that respond to the city’s unique planning and heritage requirements.
Bath’s architecture is unlike anywhere else in the UK – from its Georgian terraces and crescents to its extensive conservation areas and listed buildings. As a Chartered Architectural Technology and Surveying practice, we work with a deep understanding of the planning and heritage considerations that come with designing in Bath.
Our role is to help clients move projects forward without compromising the historic character that defines the city. From navigating local planning constraints to designing sensitive alterations, we provide architectural solutions that respect Bath’s built environment while meeting modern living requirements.
Every home in Bath presents its own challenges and opportunities, particularly when working with period properties and established neighbourhoods. At Western Building Consultants, we specialise in residential architecture that responds to both the character of the property and the expectations of local planning authorities.
With over 15 years of experience delivering residential architectural projects in Bath, we’ve supported homeowners with:
Our approach is collaborative and detail-led, ensuring each project is carefully designed, fully considered, and ready to progress toward planning and construction.
Commercial architecture in Bath requires a careful balance between modern commercial demands and the city’s historic setting. Many commercial properties sit within conservation areas or involve listed buildings, making early design decisions critical to project viability.
Our commercial architecture team supports clients across Bath with projects designed to enhance usability, customer experience, and long-term value. We regularly work on:
Retail and mixed-use developments
Hotels, guest accommodation, and short-stay lets
Leisure and hospitality spaces
Commercial refurbishments and change-of-use projects
Each scheme is developed with a clear understanding of local planning expectations, helping projects progress efficiently from concept through to delivery.
Rather than applying a generic template, our architectural process is adapted to the specific constraints and opportunities presented by commercial buildings in Bath.
Stage 1 – Project Feasibility & Planning Strategy
We assess site constraints, heritage considerations, and planning policy at an early stage. This allows us to shape a design that aligns with Bath & North East Somerset requirements before detailed work begins.
Stage 2 – Technical Design & Approvals
Once a viable design direction is agreed, we develop the technical drawings and documentation required for planning, building regulations, and coordination with consultants and contractors.
Stage 3 – Construction Support & Delivery
As the project moves into construction, we provide ongoing architectural support to ensure the design intent is maintained and the build progresses smoothly.
Transparent pricing is agreed from the outset, with clear scope definitions so clients understand exactly what is included at each stage.
Designing and altering buildings in Bath often involves navigating complex planning and heritage requirements. Large parts of the city fall within conservation areas, and many properties are listed, making specialist architectural input essential from the earliest stages of a project.
Our architectural team has extensive experience preparing designs and supporting documentation for planning applications across Bath. We understand how to respond to local planning policy, heritage constraints, and design guidance so proposals are well-considered, proportionate, and more likely to progress through approval. Where projects require additional technical or compliance input, we can also coordinate closely with our building consultancy services in Bath to support more complex applications.
We support clients with:
Architectural design for listed and heritage buildings
Planning applications within conservation areas
Sensitive alterations and extensions to period properties
Design strategies aligned with Bath & North East Somerset planning expectations
By addressing planning and heritage considerations early, we help reduce delays, minimise revisions, and give projects a clearer route from concept to consent.
Delivering successful residential architecture in Bath requires detailed technical design from an early stage, particularly when working with period properties and constrained sites.
Our architectural team develops robust technical information that supports efficient approvals and smoother construction. By specifying key structural and material elements early in the design process, we help reduce uncertainty later on and support more cost-effective build outcomes.
Alongside architectural design, we assist with:
Technical drawings for Building Regulations approval
Design input for home extensions and remodelling projects
Support for listed building consent and associated applications
Our involvement continues as designs progress, ensuring technical clarity while maintaining alignment with planning approvals and architectural intent.
In addition to residential and commercial architectural design, we offer a range of specialist services that support complex projects in Bath, particularly those involving heritage buildings, planning sensitivity, or technical constraints.
These services are delivered as part of an architectural-led approach and tailored to the specific requirements of each project.
Our specialist architectural services include:
Planning coordination and application support
3D modelling and visualisation
Interior architecture and spatial design
Expert witness support for architectural matters
Each service is integrated around the architectural design process, ensuring consistency, compliance, and clarity from early concept through to delivery.
If you’d like to discuss which services are appropriate for your project in Bath, our team is happy to provide guidance and a tailored quotation.
We place a strong emphasis on professional standards, transparency, and client confidence across every architectural project we deliver in Bath.
Our practice is accredited by CIAT and RICS, reflecting our commitment to high-quality architectural services that meet recognised industry standards. We are also members of the Trading Standards Buy With Confidence scheme, providing additional reassurance around ethical working practices and client protection.
These accreditations support our architectural-led approach, giving clients confidence that their project is being handled with care, technical competence, and professional accountability.
If you’re looking for architects in Bath who combine local understanding with recognised professional standards, our team is happy to help.
Contact us to discuss your project and request a tailored quotation
For clients still exploring their options, our Architecture Advice Centre provides practical guidance on architectural services, planning considerations, and the early stages of residential and commercial projects.
Being socially responsible and promoting excellent ethics is at the forefront of our business. Our staff are happy and content and this is shown through our positive approach to your project. We work to the highest professional standards as required by both the RICS and CIAT. You can rest assured that when you employ WBC you will be supporting an organisation that champions local, national and international projects through schemes such as FairTrade, Mentoring Plus and the Bath percent club. This is backed up by a rigorous Corporate Social Responsibility Policy. We sponsor many grass roots sports clubs such as Combe Down Rugby Club, Frome Park Bowls Club & Cardiff Harlequins.
We are realistic with timescales and honest about what you will receive. Most people underestimate the time involved with a building project, but we are upfront about what is involved and will be clear about how long a project might take. Throughout the project we will continue to update you about progress and will advise you if there will be a disruption in the timetable.
We have vast planning experience and are adaptable to most architectural styles and ages of buildings. We are perfectly able to adapt to the style of your property from contemporary to traditional, urban to rural. We have designed projects in most styles and can use our broad experience to help design the best solution for your property, using whatever construction technology best suits your needs. Whether you plan a modest alteration or something spectacular WBC can help you achieve your project goals.
We employ qualified professionals with a variety of skill sets and the latest training. many of our employees have specialist post graduate qualifications. We also train selected staff through university programmes and professional qualifications to ensure our clients get the best trained surveyors and up to date advice. You will receive a professional, comprehensive and cohesive consultation and guidance throughout the project, ensuring that your development is handled with a consultant level of knowledge.
We are here for you when you need us, with our survey to completion guarantee. You won’t be left alone, we will fit in wherever you need us in the project or guide you through the whole process. You will have the knowledge that someone is always at hand whatever level of service you need.
Whilst offering exceptional value for money we also bring a positive, approachable, pragmatic, realistic and well rounded attitude to your project. You will feel at ease discussing issues with your project, our pragmatic approach to design and refurbishment means that we can often deliver built in VALUE. One example of this is recognising where cost savings can be made in the design without compromising the overall scheme and offering a higher standard of technical specification over many of our competitors, this reduces the need for outside engineering input and ultimately saves you money in fees. We are grounded which means that we can deliver a build in a cost conscious manner in order to make sure our projects are buildable.
Where we do not have the in house skills to tackle an element of a project we are well networked locally to utilise outside consultants that we have built up relationships with over many years. You will get the best of local knowledge and be introduced to like minded trusted suppliers with excellent professional services.
We can provide the majority of services required for a small project in house, making us practically a one stop shop. Having most services in house means that we are often fully accountable for the professional services on your project, this ensures simplicity, communication and efficiency. By utilising a multi-disciplinary approach we are able to keep professional costs for the project extremely competitive and hassle free, essentially you only pay for one set of overheads.
We have unparalleled technical knowledge and produce comprehensive architectural designs and surveys. You will be getting market-leading technical advice that has been approached with imaginative problem-solving techniques. This helps us to identify potential problems with a build before they arise.
Our knowledge adds value, an example of this is that most architects do not provide any advice on the structure of a building during the building regulations approval stage, relying on a structural engineer to produce all work relating to the super structure. At Western Building Consultants we provide structural advice on many areas, such as timber design for floors and roofs, limiting the scope of the engineers work and saving you money.
Having a large team of surveyors means that your project is unlikely to be held up due to other circumstances, there will always be at least two surveyors familiar with the project therefore continuity and a personal service will be retained. On larger schemes a bigger team will be assembled with the required specialist knowledge to fully support your project.
Merlin House
No 1 Langstone Business Park,
Priory Drive
01633982588
Commerce Park, Unit R17, Marshall Way
01373488566
Western House,
2 Rush Hill
01225789307
Sophia House,
28 Cathedral Road
02922679366
Kingston House,
Lydiard Fields
01793234516
Studio 1a,
31 Berkeley Square
0117 3294290
Unit 2, Byre Workshops, Winterbourne Court Farm Barn, Church Lane, Winterbourne
0117 3294290
