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VESP Architects

Name: VESP Architects
Address: 5 Station Yard, Ashburton, TQ137EF, GB
Telephone: +441364653503
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VESP Architects

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Devon based contemporary Architects, offering a complete design service from inception to completion.

We are a medium sized architectural practice, located in Ashburton, Devon. Our approach aims to wed progressive, contemporary design with environmentally responsible construction practices. Each of our designs is bespoke and site specific, tailor made to the client’s requirements and the critical demands of a sustainable environment.

03/11/2026

We're delighted that our River House project has been shortlisted for Britain's Best Self Build or Renovation Project at the 2026 Build It Awards!

Designed for our client Mike Cowan, this contemporary replacement dwelling sits on the banks of the River Exe in Devon. Elevated on stilts, its simple linear form, natural materials and generous glazing create a strong connection with the surrounding landscape.

We're thrilled to see this project recognised!

Voting closes on 5 November, so please follow the link below to cast your vote!
Look out for Mike Cowan's project on the top of the voting list.

https://www.self-build.co.uk/build-it-awards-best-self-build-home-or-renovation-project-2026/

29/10/2026

These two photographs show how our Stipperstones project sits within its riverside setting, elevated above the banks of the River Exe and surrounded by mature trees and vegetation.

Replacing a prefabricated concrete bungalow, this contemporary three-bedroom home is raised on slender steel supports, allowing the building to sit lightly above the ground while responding to the challenges of a flood-sensitive site.

The photographs particularly highlight the generous floating timber deck that wraps around the house, providing outdoor seating and dining areas overlooking the river. The deep roof overhangs, with their warm timber soffits, provide shelter to these spaces, while the extensive glazing allows the living areas to open directly onto the deck.

Viewed from across the river, the house's low, linear form and restrained palette of dark timber cladding, natural timber and metal roofing help it settle into the surrounding landscape.

The result is a home that makes the most of its exceptional location, with a strong connection to the river, its wildlife and the changing landscape through the seasons.

Read more on our website, www.vesp.uk/projects/stipperstones

27/10/2026

Love the house, but not quite the way it works?

It's something we see regularly at VESP Architects. Our clients fall in love with an older property, its character and location, but find that the layout doesn't really suit modern living.

Our Watermead project in South Devon is a great example.

This beautiful listed thatched cottage was originally three separate dwellings, later combined into one. The resulting layout was long and narrow, with awkward circulation and little connection to the wonderful garden and river meadow beyond.

Our solution was a carefully designed curved extension, creating a generous, light-filled kitchen and dining space with a vaulted ceiling, extensive oak-framed glazing and a much stronger connection to the garden.

The result is a home that retains everything special about the original cottage while offering the space and functionality needed for modern family life.

An older property doesn't have to be perfect when you buy it. Sometimes it just takes a little imagination to see its potential.

You can read more on our website, www.vesp.uk

23/10/2026

Three bathrooms, three very different personalities.

At Higher Dorsley, our Class Q barn conversion in the South Hams, each bathroom has its own distinctive look, showing how much character can be created through the choice of materials, colour and detailing.

From the understated, tactile finish of the concrete-effect walls and warm brass fittings, to the bold geometric pattern of the stone-effect tiles, and the reflective bronze scallop tiles paired with a black basin and rustic timber vanity, each space takes a different approach.

A reminder that good design is in the details – and that even the most functional rooms can have a strong identity of their own.

22/10/2026

We’re super excited to share that Clayfold House has received planning permission!

Securing permission for a new, isolated home in the open countryside is one of the most challenging routes in UK planning. Clayfold House, a new family home on a 4.5-acre site north of Farnham, Surrey, has been approved under NPPF Policy HO11(e), formerly Paragraph 84(e) – a policy route reserved for homes of truly exceptional architectural quality.

The design responds to the landscape and local heritage through a low-lying pavilion form, reclaimed local brickwork, carefully crafted timber and clay details, and a green meadow roof. A comprehensive landscape strategy will restore and enhance local habitats, while the house’s high-performance fabric and integrated sustainable technologies are designed to exceed ambitious net-zero targets.

Getting here was a collaborative process. Working with landscape architects McWilliam Studio and Design South East, we developed and refined the proposals through four independent design review sessions. Each stage challenged us to push the design further, resulting in a home that responds sensitively to its setting while making a distinctive architectural statement.

We’re particularly proud to have secured permission directly through the local planning authority, demonstrating the value of a rigorous, collaborative design process and a clear vision from the outset.

Clayfold House is a great example of what can be achieved when exceptional architecture, landscape and sustainability are considered together.

Have a plot in the open countryside and an ambition to create something exceptional? We’d love to discuss the possibilities with you.

13/10/2026

When an existing house no longer works for modern family life, a carefully considered renovation can transform how it is experienced without losing its original character.

At this project, the house had become dark and disconnected, with successive alterations creating a fragmented layout and little connection to the garden. VESP reconfigured the internal spaces, retained key historic elements and replaced later additions with contemporary extensions designed to bring in natural light, frame views and create a stronger relationship with the surrounding landscape.

A newly vaulted reception space celebrates the scale of the original building, while garden and roof terraces extend everyday living outdoors.

The result is a home that works for modern family life while embracing its setting within a sheltered, wooded valley.

Read more on our website. www.vesp.uk/projects/the-canopy-house-refurbishment-extension

09/10/2026

Thinking about a building project but not sure where to start?

Whether you're buying a property with potential, planning an extension, renovating an existing home or considering a new build, an architect can help understand what's possible and guide you through the process.

At VESP architects, we work with our clients from those first ideas through to the finished building, bringing together design, planning, sustainability and the practicalities of construction.

Swipe through to see how the process works and what an architect can bring to your project.

If you're considering a project and would like to talk through some ideas, we'd be happy to hear from you.

07/10/2026

It’s the details that bring a design to life.

At Erme House, the crisp geometry of the copper-clad roof is beginning to emerge, with its sharply defined edges sitting against the texture and natural variation of the stone walls.
The contrast between the precise metalwork and the rugged stonework is an important part of the design, and it’s exciting to see these details coming together on site.

Read more on our website, www.vesp.uk/projects/erme-house

01/10/2026

How do you create a private garden when your site is a narrow plot, surrounded on all sides by other houses?

At Court 6, the answer was to bring the garden into the centre of the home.

The house is arranged around a small, sheltered courtyard, framed by the ground-floor bedrooms, home office, gym and TV room.
Rather than being an afterthought, this compact outdoor space becomes the heart of the house, bringing daylight, greenery and a sense of openness into the centre of a surprisingly urban site.
The front entrance leads along the main spine of the house, running alongside the glazed courtyard. From here, the bright yellow steel and timber staircase rises into the main living spaces above, with a large rooflight bringing daylight down into the hall.
With the principal living spaces and master bedroom on the first floor, the arrangement also makes the most of the available light and views, while the courtyard provides a more intimate and private outdoor space at ground level.

A reminder that even on a tight urban plot, thoughtful planning can create a home with its own little piece of outside space.

Court 6, Plymouth
New self-build dwelling
www.vesp.uk/projects/court-6-plymouth

30/09/2026

There is a particular pleasure in living in a Georgian house, generous, beautifully proportioned rooms, a traditional layout, tall sash windows and the wonderful detail of original internal shutters.

At Lee House, we wanted to preserve and celebrate all of this character, while making the house work better for contemporary life.

The existing conservatory was replaced with a small, carefully considered glass extensions. Set back from the main façade, the new garden room sits quietly alongside the Georgian house, with fine glazing wrapping around the room and opening up far-reaching views across the surrounding countryside.
Large sliding doors connect directly to the garden, while a rooflight brings daylight deep into the extension and into the adjoining rooms of the old house.

The result is a lovely contrast: the intimacy and character of the original Georgian rooms, with their traditional fireplaces, windows and shutters, alongside light-filled contemporary spaces that open the house to its garden and the landscape beyond.

A whole-house refurbishment, including the kitchen, bathrooms, flooring and decoration, completes the transformation.

Lee House, South Hams.
Grade II listed Georgian House
https://www.vesp.uk/projects/lee-house

Address

5 Station Yard
Ashburton
TQ137EF

Opening Hours

Monday	8am - 6:30pm
Tuesday	8am - 6:30pm
Wednesday	8am - 6:30pm
Thursday	8am - 6:30pm
Friday	8am - 6:30pm

Telephone

+441364653503

Website

http://www.vesp.uk/

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