Julian Owen Associates

Julian Owen Associate Architects were recommended to us by family members. We found them very reliable and professional and would highly recommend them.
Feb 20th, 2023

Nov 22nd, 2022

Early this year I finally made up my mind to have an extension built for my house. I had been worrying about how to do it for ages; what are all the stages involved, how to choose a builder and all the other myriad other concerns related to any building project that I knew nothing of. There are always scare stories around about poor building work and being ripped off. Although some people had said dont bother about an architect as they only cost money, many more friends advised using their services. But what architect to choose? I did try to contact a few firms from a website for finding architects, but they either did not respond or seemed way more concerned about money and how I was going to pay them rather than showing any interest in my house. I was on the verge of giving up when a friend knew of a retired architect and asked him for a recommendation. The response was quick; the architect would only recommend Julian Owen Associates and no one else in the Nottingham area explaining that his firm was the best. Coincidently, I heard an interview with Julian Owen only days later on Radio Nottingham about his latest book. From the first phone call I made I was impressed by everyone I was in contact with. There was an initial conversation with Julian followed by a visit by Lyndsy and a colleague to measure every part of the house. Lyndsy was the architect for my project and she was great. I liked the fact that I could comment on a plan which would then be changed to suit my wishes and felt happy asking numerous questions. We finally got to a design that not only was perfect but, interestingly, was one that I hadnt thought of and hadnt realised was the one I wanted. Lyndsy led me through all the other processes required such as drainage inspection, planning department, structural engineer assessment and more but letting me choose each contractor. It became an exciting rather than scary process. Finally, she wrote up a detailed specification that went out to tender to various builders. That was possibly the most worrying part of the process - who to choose? After a visit from each builder, I decided to go with my gut instinct and chose the one who showed most interest in my extension. I was not disappointed. My extension is now complete. With trust in the builders who worked to a detailed specification the building process went smoothly and, in addition, they built me a patio and laid garden paths. I am so pleased I took that initial step of choosing Julian Owen Associates. My only gripe with the firm is that they really should get their front entrance disabled friendly. As a disabled person, I hate having to enter a building via the back entry when everyone else can get in the main entrance.
Oct 22nd, 2022

Julian Owen Associates provided a thoroughly professional and efficient service in assisting with my kitchen extension project. In addition to producing the plans and specification, they also liaised on my behalf with the local water authority, assisted with obtaining planning permission approval and submission of the building regs application, helped me find a Structural engineer and handled the selection of a builder via tendering process and drawing-up of the contract with the builder. At all stages I was kept well informed with regular updates and there was always someone available to speak with. In summary an excellent service provided and I can definitely recommend.
Aug 30th, 2022

Avoid at all costs. We spent over 8k on design work and got a lovely set of drawings for a house we could never afford to build. We went to another firm who listened and understood the word budget! Thank you for coming back to me about this and Im sorry you hadnt been well, however you still havent explained the situation and following your drawings the unrealistic build costs. When we rang your office they also explained to us that Chis who did our designs wasnt even a qualified architect at the time however he was invoiced out to us at a normal architects rate. Perhaps you could ring me which is the normal response following a customers complaint to see if you wish to resolve this?
Aug 3rd, 2022