Testimonials

“We asked Geoff Cole of Proctor Watts Cole Rutter to design and oversee the conversion of an ugly 1990 bungalow into a stylish, spacious and efficient modern home. He recommended the builders, Burfitt and Garrett, who did an excellent job. Two substantial extensions (including a large and stunning vaulted kitchen) were built and the interior was extensively re-arranged. The whole house was insulated to modern standards (it now has an EPC rating of A, having been D) and the exterior is a combination of K Rend and vertical charred larch. We wanted a house that was suitable for the two of us for most of the time, but able to accommodate large numbers of family and friends when needed. This aim has succeeded well beyond our expectations. Quite apart from being such a good designer and architect Geoff was a pleasure to work with, always very helpful and very friendly.”

“We approached Simon at PWCR for an opinion on whether it would be feasible that we could obtain planning consent on the edge of a field on our property that was between two other properties but outside the town boundary. Simon was very objective but did feel that it was worth applying since the planning rules had relaxed. Geoff, an architect at PWCR was consulted to design a suitable property that suited our needs whilst also appealing to the planners and a comprehensive application was made which resulted in the granting of the application. The site has panoramic views over the Vale and the design of the house was centred around this with a central oak structure containing a first floor balcony. We commenced the build, self project managing it with the reassurance that Geoff was on hand for any queries we had and he was very helpful with his advice. We would thoroughly recommend PWCR for any Planning and design projects.”

“We employed PWCR for both the design and management of our building project in North Dorset. The project was to refurbish, extend and upgrade an 18th century farm house and outbuildings. The work started in October 2018 and finished in December 2019. PWCR were employed from October 2017 to work on the design and all required preliminaries for the project. We lived on site throughout. We were fortunate to be guided by Geoff Cole and his excellent (and entertaining assistant) Alex Spooner. They were prompt , efficient and a pleasure to work with . The design phase felt like a collaborative process and Geoff was very open about our ideas being incorporated into the design . He took a huge amount of care and trouble in helping us pick the right contractor for the job and thereafter was always available to visit the site (in addition to regular site meetings ) to advise on specific issues as they arose. His good relationship with the contractor was very helpful and he was always willing to promote our interests in any discussions. Geoff is a calm, knowledgeable and professional architect and we are extremely pleased with the finished product. He also has very good contacts with other professionals and contractors as required for those parts of the project which were outside his remit.”

“Geoff Cole of Proctor Watts Cole and Rutter was the architect and contract administrator on our new build project. We entered the project as very naïve first time builders. We had ideas about what we wanted but no idea about how to turn these half-formed ideas into a house - much less how to get it built. Geoff listened to our thoughts and made enumerable suggestions for improvements (most of which we included - but he was not upset when we rejected or modified this ideas). With his help we came to a plan that fitted both what our hearts wanted and what our wallet could stand. Geoff was invaluable in helping us through the tendering process - guiding us to well respected builders that offered competitive tenders. With his help we selected a local firm that proved to be excellent. Our regular meetings during the build usually started with us in a panic over some aspect of the building process that we did not understand (or had misunderstood). Geoff throughout was calm and reassuring, explaining how each issue was normally dealt with - continually making us feel that we were in safe hands. Geoff had a good relationship with our builders based on mutual respect and that helped to smooth over the inevitable difficult discussions around cost variations. Throughout the build Geoff "held our hands" and helped to de-stress the whole process. We finished with a house that we love, built to budget and more or less to time (even Geoff could not protect us from vagaries of the English weather).”

“As a developer I need an architect who can design a home that is commercially viable, economical to build, takes advantage of the plot it is to be built in and above all has wow factor. Geoff delivers on all counts and together with his support team ensures that I have all the tools to complete a successful project. I thoroughly and confidently recommend Geoff, and the PWCR practice, and will definitely use him for my next project.”

“We decided to extend our house in Yeovil to modernise and future proof our home so we could live on the ground floor in necessary, to enlarge and modernise the kitchen and add a garden room, a utility room and a hobby room. We used Houzz to find an architect. We selected PWCR and invited them to talk to us about the service offered and the process. Geoff Cole visited and explained very clearly their way of working and the cost of their services. We chose them to design our single story extension and manage the process of competitively selecting a builder and subsequently to managing the build. Throughout the project from the initial survey, design proposals, competitive tenders, contracting with the selected builder and project managing the build, PWCR communicated clearly and promptly. Completion of the project within very reasonable timescales and price was largely down to the PWCR team. We are very happy that the completed extension meets all our dreams and expectations and would recommend PWCR to anyone looking for an imaginative design and a professional service.”