Full support and genuine collaboration.
We founded CODE. fuelled by our experience and passion for refined residential design. We believe that every home deserves to be exceptional, a perfect blend of beautiful aesthetics, unparalleled functionality, and sustainability. We work closely with our clients to create entirely bespoke homes that reflect their unique lifestyle and vision.
Laurence Lowe
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As a Founding Partner at CODE.Architects and an award-winning designer, Laurence is driven by a passion for creating exceptional, timeless architecture. He places his clients’ needs at the centre of every project, regardless of value or scale, to deliver homes that genuinely enhance everyday living. Known for his friendly and reassuring approach, he works hard to make the design process enjoyable and collaborative, often building lasting relationships with clients — and has even been honoured with a building named after him.
Outside of work, Laurence enjoys weightlifting, mountain biking, padel and snowboarding, though most of his time is spent with his wife and two young children. He is committed to supporting the next generation and is actively involved in local arts and sports initiatives. His contributions to community projects — including the redesign of the local school library — reflect his belief in learning, creativity and personal development.
Dominic Brooke-Read
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Dom became a Partner at CODE.Architects having worked in practice since 2008. Throughout his career, he has delivered a number of exceptional one-off private houses, luxury residential developments, and sensitive historical conservation projects. Dom’s expertise lies in creatively unlocking the potential of challenging sites through high-quality, innovative design. His natural design talent, combined with extensive experience working with private clients, self-builders, and high-quality developers, has given him the skills to balance value and quality with clarity and confidence.
Beyond architecture, Dom is happiest outdoors. Whether playing golf, skiing in the Alps, or taking on endurance challenges, he values pursuits that test concentration, resilience, and adaptability — qualities that echo his approach to his projects. He frequently attempts to bring his wife and two young daughters along for the adventure, although their enthusiasm doesn’t always match his! For those interested in following his endurance pursuits, you can follow him on Strava.
Paul Seamarks
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As a Founding Partner at CODE. Architects, Paul specialises in blending thoughtful design with a deep respect for heritage — whether restoring period homes or creating contemporary spaces tailored to each client’s lifestyle. In 2021, he took on the challenge of self-building his own family home, an experience that has given him a genuine appreciation for the journey his clients embark on.
Paul is a proud dad of two energetic children, a committed fitness enthusiast - who's always happy to connect on Peloton (@SeamarksP) with clients who share the same passion — as well as a lifelong Arsenal fan. Outside of work, he enjoys keeping active, heading outdoors for family walks, travel and exploring new places. He believes that great design begins with understanding how people truly live and values connecting with clients over shared interests, whether architecture, sport, travel, or simply making the most of everyday moments.
OUR PHILOSOPHY
Your home should be a sanctuary. A place of comfort, luxury, and inspiration.
OUR COMMITMENTS
We understand the profound privilege of being entrusted by our wonderful clients to design their home. Creating a new build, extension, or refurbishment is a deeply personal journey, and we are committed to fostering a relationship built on trust and understanding. To reflect the trust placed with us we are proud to pledge the following commitments.
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![CODE Architects Partners are walking and talking outside near a brick building with a wooden roof and a tree with green leaves.]()
Partner-led service
We take pride in a partner-led service model. One of our three founding partners will be your dedicated point of contact, personally overseeing the entire project, providing consistent leadership, seamless execution, and delivering exceptional results.
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![Modern bedroom with glass sliding doors opening to a lawn and trees outside, featuring wooden ceiling and vertical wooden slats, with a bed and a rug visible inside.]()
Inspire & delight
Fuelled by a passion for residential design, we ignite client imaginations with captivating and thought-provoking solutions. We combine unwavering dedication to our craft with a boldly creative approach. This results in exceptional residences that surpass your expectations, leaving you inspired and delighted.
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![Interior of a luxurious indoor swimming pool area with lounge chairs, large windows, and natural sunlight.]()
Flexibility & adaptability
We understand that every project and client is singular. This recognition of individual needs and evolving requirements underpins our commitment to flexibility and adaptability. We approach each journey with a collaborative mindset, ensuring that your vision remains the priority and central focus.
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![Three people sitting around a wooden table, discussing, with digital devices and a notebook in front of them.]()
Creativity with pragmatism
We recognise the need to harmonise creativity with practicality, buildability, and economic considerations. This in-depth knowledge allows us to guide you confidently through every step of the process, ensuring the realisation of your vision within a realistic and achievable framework.
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![Elegant spa room with large arched windows, a round skylight ceiling, and a circular hot tub.]()
Client focused
The cornerstone of our design process is a deep understanding of our clients. Through extensive discussions, we delve into your objectives and preferences. This client-centric approach allows us to adapt our process, ensuring architecture which is truly a bespoke reflection of our clients and their families.
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![Person riding a stationary exercise bike inside a room with large glass windows showing an outdoor yard.]()
Lifestyle orientated
Our passion lies in crafting meticulously designed homes that go beyond aesthetics. We believe in an inside-out approach, designing each space to enhance the lives and lifestyles of our clients. Our homes are not merely structures; they are intentional havens, tailored to elevate your everyday experience.
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![Three men laughing and talking around a kitchen island in a modern kitchen.]()
Joy & team spirit
We are united by a shared passion for exceptional design. Our enthusiasm and dedication fuel a dynamic team spirit, fostering open communication and seamless collaboration. This ensures that your design vision is brought to life with the collective expertise and passion of our entire team.
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![A person reaching into a wooden cabinet with a hand. The cabinet has multiple drawers and a marble countertop. The person is wearing a dark jacket.]()
Embrace collaboration
We believe in the power of meaningful collaboration. We are partnered with a vetted network of established specialists who share our unwavering commitment to excellence and an unwavering dedication to exceeding client expectations.
Questions we’re asked
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As a small dynamic practice either Laurence, Paul or Dominic will personally design and lead your project. We pride ourselves on fostering a collaborative partnership with you, ensuring open communication throughout the design process. Whether via phone, email, message, WhatsApp, or another platform, we adapt our methods and frequency to suit your preference.
We're passionate about residential design and believe in an "inside-out" approach, where layout drives architecture to create lifestyle-enhancing solutions for you and your family. We invest the time to understand your vision, preferences, and project objectives. This deep understanding allows us to develop a design brief that inspires, excites, and surpasses your expectations.
Our personalised solutions are an extension of you. Through thoughtful architecture and design, your home becomes a reflection of your unique story. Our partners' extensive experience and hands-on approach remove worry and risk, allowing you to truly enjoy the design journey. We are fundamentally results-driven, combining our love for beautiful architecture with a focus on securing planning consents and delivering buildable, economical solutions.
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Whilst the majority of our work is located in the rural landscapes of southern England, we relish the opportunity to design across the UK and internationally. No matter the location, we embrace the unique challenges and possibilities each environment presents.
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We specialise in crafting exceptional houses and homes within the prime and super-prime residential markets, from luxury renovations and modernisation schemes to sprawling country estates. Typically our projects have a construction value upwards of £500,000
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The cost of building a bespoke new home is influenced by hundreds of unique factors, making it difficult to provide generic advice. However, to assist with initial budgeting, our designs typically start at around £3,500 per square meter.
Please keep in mind that this is a starting point. The final cost can be impacted by various elements, including:
Site and Location
Design Complexity
Material Specifications
Procurement Method
Construction Schedule
In addition to the base build cost, the following should also be factored in:
Fit-out items: Built-in furniture, window treatments, loose furniture, technology, etc.
Landscaping
Professional fees
Open communication throughout the design process is crucial to ensure your project aligns with your vision and budget. We will work collaboratively with you to manage expectations and create a cost and project plan that reflects your priorities.
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We believe in upfront clarity and client value. That's why we offer fixed fee pricing with a lump sum upfront, ensuring there are no hidden costs. Unless specifically requested, we avoid percentage-based fees as this can conflict with our drive to source appropriate cost-effective solutions for our clients.
Our fees vary depending on the size, complexity of your project, and the scope of services we provide. Every project is unique, but for your reference, based on our experience, our full-service fees (encompassing design, technical drawings, and construction phases) typically range between 6% and 10% of the total build cost. Projects with a streamlined design and construction process may fall towards the lower end of this range, while those with extensive customisation and specialist coordination may be closer to 10%.
We are always happy to discuss your project in detail and provide a tailored fee proposal that reflects your specific needs.
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Project duration depends on the scope, scale, complexity and procurement method. We understand that time is often a driving factor and have experience delivering turnkey new build projects on a fast track basis from initial consultation to handover within as little as 18 months.
We can normally deliver a design up to and including planning consent in 6-9 months.
To prepare technical drawings, specifications and coordinate with other consultants and specialists usually takes 4-8 months.
To tender the project and choose a contractor typically takes 2-3 months.
The construction period varies between 12 and 36 months with most of our projects requiring 18 months to complete the construction phase. We produce a programme at the start of the project and continually update this throughout the process.
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Many of our clients approach us with a property they already own, and we have extensive experience transforming or replacing existing houses into dream homes. However, if you haven't yet found the perfect location, we can still help.
We understand that some clients may be seeking a development or self-build opportunity and that finding the right site and opportunity is a challenge. Our established network of trusted buying agents and land agents can assist you in finding a suitable plot that aligns with your vision and requirements.
If you're interested in exploring development or self-build possibilities, please don't hesitate to contact us at hello@codearchitects.co.uk. We'd be happy to discuss your needs and explore the best path forward.
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At CODE., we believe the journey of crafting your dream home should be an inspiring and enjoyable experience. We prioritise a partner-led design and delivery approach, ensuring you work closely with the Partner who will guide your vision from concept to completion.
Personal service: It’s important your architect invests the time to truly understand your vision, becoming not just your architects, but also your design partners.
Collaborative spirit: Open communication and a collaborative spirit are fundamentals to a successful architect-client relationship. It is important that your architect listens to your aspirations, and then translates your needs into inspired design solutions.
A Fun and Rewarding Process: The design and construction process can be a long journey, often lasting several years, and your choice of architect should be influenced by their ability to lead a positive design experience.
At CODE. we understand that every client has unique needs and preferences and, whilst we strive to always create a positive experience, we acknowledge that we won’t be the right for everyone. It’s important to find the architectural partner who perfectly aligns with your vision and personality because ultimately, a successful project hinges on a strong and trusting relationship.
If you're looking for a collaborative design experience with a focus on luxury and tailored design solutions, then we might be the perfect