RIBA Chartered Practice
London & Essex

Home / Projects

A selection of eight projects, and the stories behind them.

Real projects, real council decisions, and how we helped at each step: from a first design study, to approvals, to a new route after a refusal, to conditions cleared so work could start on site. Addresses and reference numbers are held back to protect our clients' privacy, and we're happy to share them on request.

The mapWaltham ForestGreat BaddowE13 officeNorth Weald, EppingGidea ParkHome officeBishop's StortfordRural B&BMore workCommercial workEarlier work

91%

of our planning applications approved: first decision, including resubmissions we led

0 appeals

needed in Bedfordshire: after another agent's appeal was dismissed, we found the route that needed no permission at all

18 days

from measured survey to a validated planning application in Bishop's Stortford

Where the work is

Over three hundred projects, in the UK and abroad.

Every pin is a scheme our director has taken through planning, construction or both, over twenty years at the practices she worked for, and now at DZP Studio. Each pin names the practice and her role.

London, Essex & the East

The home ground, at the closest zoom that still holds every DZP project: Bedfordshire in the west, Ipswich in the east.

East Africa, the Gulf & China

Twenty years of work is not all within driving distance of Epping. Uganda, Dubai, and nine cities across China.

Open the full map →

01 · Featured · Developers · Waltham Forest

Nine new homes. A top floor you can hardly see.

London Borough of Waltham Forest · Feasibility study

Design visual, option C: two new floors in dark zinc, with a mansard roof on topDesign visual, option A: two new floors in pale brick on the existing red brick building, the top floor wrapped in an open brick latticeA · Pale brick latticeC · Zinc mansard
Left
Right
Choose any two options, then drag the line to compare them. Design visuals.
Design visual from the pavement, looking up at the corner: the set-back top floor is out of sight
From the pavement, looking up: the top floor is out of sight. Design visual.
Part of the proposed elevation with a sightline from eye level on the pavement: the edge of the new floor hides the set-back top floor
Why the top floor disappears: part of our proposed elevation, with the sightline from the pavement.
Project
Two new floors on an existing two-storey commercial building: nine self-contained flats above commercial units
Stage
Feasibility study
Our part so far
RIBA Stages 0 to 2: the brief, the feasibility study and the design options
Images
Our 3D model, visualised by CGI

The brief

We were asked what an existing two-storey commercial building in the London Borough of Waltham Forest could become, with two more storeys on top.

What we did

We kept the existing building and added two floors on top: nine self-contained flats above the commercial units at street level. We tested many facade designs suited to the area, and took the final four to our client: a pale brick lattice that lets light through the top floor, blue-black glazed brick with fins that catch the light, a zinc mansard roof, and red brick a shade lighter than the original. Same plans, same homes: only the outside changes.

Light, not bulky

Going from two floors to four can easily look heavy. So each new floor steps back from the one below: the first only slightly, the top floor further, behind its terraces. Stand on the pavement and look up, and the top floor all but disappears: the building reads as three storeys.

Where it is

A feasibility study so far. We offer the full service, RIBA Stages 0 to 7, and we hope to see this one through to the finished building.

9 homes on top of a building we kept.

From the drawing board: a DZP Studio feasibility study. The visualisations are of our design, rendered with AI assistance from our 3D model.

02 · Featured · Homeowners · Chelmsford

Two flat roofs became one.

Great Baddow, Chelmsford · Rear extension

Design visual from the same spot in the garden: one straight rear wall and one pitched tiled roof with two rooflightsThe back of the semi-detached house today: two flat-roofed rooms at two different heightsExistingProposed · design visual
Drag to compare, from the same spot in the garden.
Design visual from the corner of the garden: matching brick, roof tiles and white windows
From the corner of the garden. Design visual.
Proposed side and rear elevations: the new roof falls towards the garden
Proposed side and rear elevations: the roof falls towards the garden, so the wall beside the neighbour stays low.
Project
A single-storey rear infill extension, and one new pitched roof over the rooms at the back of a semi-detached house
Brief
More room in the kitchen, and a tidier back to the house, working with a first-floor extension the owners plan above
Our part so far
RIBA Stages 1 to 3: the brief, the design options and the final design drawings

The brief

At the back of this semi-detached house, two flat-roofed rooms sat at two different heights, with a small open gap between them. The owners wanted the ground floor to work with a first-floor extension they plan above.

What we did

We filled the gap so the kitchen grows into it, behind one straight rear wall, and replaced both flat roofs with a single pitched roof in tiles to match the house, kept below the first-floor windows. The extension goes no further into the garden than the room beside it does today, and the wall next to the neighbour stays low.

2 flat roofs became one tiled roof.

From the drawing board: a DZP Studio design. The proposed views are design visuals of our drawings, on a photo of the house.

03 · Design study · Newham

Same plot, same brief. Two final designs.

East London, E13 · Accountancy practice · Feasibility study

Option 2: a brick office with the top floor cantilevered over the entrance, on the same street viewOption 1: a fully glazed office with planted terraces on each floor, visualised from the streetOption 1 · glass and modernOption 2 · brick and unique
Drag to compare.
Project
A new small office on the back of the client's own land, for their accountancy practice
Brief
Modern and individual: a building that stands apart from the traditional ones around it
Stage
Feasibility study: six design options drawn, two taken to the final client meeting
Images
Our 3D model, visualised by CGI

The brief

An accountancy practice in East London owns the land behind its premises and wanted to build its own office on it: small, modern, and unlike anything in the street. The street is Victorian terrace on one side and a 1930s block on the other.

What we did

We drew six options and tested every one against the same street view and the same site photograph, which is why the two finalists can be compared on one picture. Option 1 dissolves the building in glass and planting, so the office reads as a garden stacked three floors high. Option 2 holds a solid brick volume with a unique form and appearance, and floats the top floor out over the entrance.

Where it is

The study stops at feasibility. The client left the final meeting with two buildings they liked, which is a nice problem to have.

6 options drawn, 2 in the final meeting

From the drawing board: a DZP Studio feasibility study. The visualisations are of our design, rendered with AI assistance from our 3D model.

04 · Developers · Epping Forest

One house became three. Then the real work started.

North Weald Bassett, Epping · Epping Forest District Council · Developer client

Three-dimensional view of the three proposed houses at North Weald Bassett, from the construction drawing set
Project
Part demolition, extension and conversion of a three-bedroom house into two semi-detached four-bedroom houses, plus a new detached four-bedroom house. Existing garage demolished.
Planning
Granted 29 November 2024, with a section 106 agreement and conditions
Conditions
Details for conditions 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 15 and 19 submitted; approved 1 July 2025
Our role
Principal Designer (pre-construction phase only), technical design and full construction drawings, discharge of conditions, Building Control full plans application, Thames Water build-over approval
Status
Under construction

The brief

A single three-bedroom house on a generous plot outside Epping, and a developer who could see three homes on it: the existing house split and extended into a pair of semi-detached four-bedroom houses, and a new detached house alongside. The client bought the site with planning permission already granted, in November 2024.

The obstacle

A permission is not a licence to start. This one came with a section 106 agreement and a string of pre-commencement conditions (surface-water drainage, a tree protection plan and arboricultural method statement, site set-up, materials), each of which has to be submitted, negotiated and formally discharged before a spade goes in. Developers lose months here, usually because the conditions are treated as paperwork rather than design.

What we did

We treated the conditions as the first stage of construction, not the last stage of planning. The drainage strategy, tree protection and site logistics were resolved together with the technical design, so the details submitted to the council were the details the builder would build from. Seven conditions went in as one application; the council issued its decision on 1 July 2025, with the drainage condition following. All conditions have since been discharged.

Alongside that we acted as Principal Designer for the pre-construction phase, produced the full construction set, submitted the Building Control full plans application and dealt with Building Control's comments and queries, and prepared the Thames Water build-over drawings and application through to approval.

The outcome

Three houses being built from one address, with the council's conditions dealt with as part of the design rather than after it.

1 → 3 homes on a single plot

05 · Prior approval · Havering

Six metres, approved, and buildable the same day.

Gidea Park, Romford · London Borough of Havering · Homeowner

Three-dimensional rear view of the approved single-storey extension in Gidea Park
Rear view of the approved scheme.
Project
Single-storey rear extension, 6 m deep, to make one kitchen and living room across the back of the house
Route
Larger home extension: prior approval under permitted development (Class A)
Decision
Prior approval not required (approved), 4 August 2025
Also
Building Regulations full-plans approval, Thames Water build-over technical submission, construction drawings

The brief

A 1930s semi with a narrow, deep garden and a kitchen that had nothing to do with the living room. The owners wanted the full six metres the permitted development rules allow, so the two rooms could become one space opening onto a new patio.

The neighbour

During the application, the planning officer raised a concern about the 45-degree line from the neighbour's window, a guide councils use to protect a neighbour's daylight. We worked with the officer, revised the design to stay within that line as advised, and approval was granted.

What we did

Rather than waiting for the planning answer, we took the scheme through Building Regulations full-plans approval and prepared the Thames Water build-over submission in the same weeks, so that the day the approval arrived the owners could price and start.

The outcome

On 4 August 2025 Havering confirmed that prior approval was not required. With the building regulations already approved, the owners had a buildable six-metre extension the same day.

6 m deep, approved, with building regulations already in hand

From the record: London Borough of Havering decision notice of 4 August 2025.

06 · Planning decision: refused, appeal dismissed · Central Bedfordshire

After a lost appeal, the route that didn't need permission.

Bedfordshire · Central Bedfordshire Council · Homeowner

Three-dimensional view of the converted garage building, with new doors and rooflights
The garage building as converted, with new glazed doors and rooflights.
History
An earlier application to convert the garage block into a separate dwelling was refused; the appeal was dismissed on 25 March 2025 on highway safety, flood risk and location (a scheme by a previous agent, before we were appointed)
Our route
Conversion of the existing garage into a home office, with an entertainment space on the first floor, under permitted development
Decision
Lawful Development Certificate issued 12 March 2026

The brief

A large house down an unmade lane, with a detached garage the owners wanted to turn into a home office, with an entertainment space on the first floor. The site had a long planning history, with several refusals and a lost appeal, before they came to us in November 2025.

The obstacle

After refusals and a dismissed appeal, another application along the same lines is unlikely to succeed, on any site.

What we did

We explored the options and worked closely with the planning officer at the council, and found a route to convert the building under permitted development, confirmed with a Lawful Development Certificate rather than a planning application.

The outcome

Central Bedfordshire issued the certificate on 12 March 2026, and the owners have the space they wanted. Their wider plans for the site are now going through pre-application advice with the council.

After refusals and a lost appeal, a certificate in four months.

07 · Homeowners · East Hertfordshire

Measured on the 12th. Submitted on the 30th. Approved.

Bishop's Stortford · East Herts Council · Homeowner

Three-dimensional front view of the house with the garage converted and a new single-storey side extension
Front view: the garage becomes a room, and a single-storey side extension with a rooflight takes its place.
Project
Garage conversion into habitable space, with a single-storey side extension
Route
Householder planning application
Timeline
Measured survey 12 March 2026 · drawings issued 21 March · application received and registered 30 March
Decision
Planning permission granted with conditions, 2026

The brief

A family house at the end of a short terrace with an integral garage that had never held a car. The owners wanted the garage back as a room and a modest single-storey extension to the side, done quickly and without drama.

What we did

We measured the house on 12 March, drew the proposal and the three-dimensional views by 21 March, and the application was registered by East Herts on 30 March. Eighteen days, including a round of changes with the owners. The drawings show the neighbour's house on the front elevation, so the officer could see at a glance how the extension sits against the neighbouring house.

The outcome

Permission granted with conditions. The notice records that the council “considered the applicant's proposal in a positive and proactive manner”, which is what happens when an application arrives complete, with nothing for the officer to chase.

18 days from survey to validated application

08 · Pre-application · Central Bedfordshire

A family home, future-proofed as a rural business.

Bedfordshire · Central Bedfordshire Council · Homeowner and business owner

Existing and proposed elevations of the house: front, both sides and rear, unchanged on the outside
Existing and proposed elevations: the change of use needs no changes to the outside of the house.
Project
Change of use of a large family house to a bed and breakfast with serviced accommodation
Route
Pre-application advice, with two options for developing the site
Advice
Received 27 January 2026: the change of use may be acceptable in principle

The brief

The owners have a large house and a good deal of land around it, and wanted to plan ahead for their family and their business.

What we did

We prepared a pre-application with two options for developing the site. The first converts the house into a bed and breakfast with eleven guest bedrooms, a restaurant and a lounge, and leaves the outside of the house as it is.

The outcome

The council advised that the change of use may be acceptable in principle, under its policies for re-using buildings in the countryside and for the rural and visitor economy. Its advice also set out what a full application would need, from a business plan to a more landscaped parking layout, so the owners can move forward knowing what the council expects.

Supported in principle by the council, before a full application.

Also on the drawing board

More DZP Studio work, 2025–26.

Consented, in progress or on site across London and Essex. Case studies follow as each one completes.

Three-dimensional rear view of a terraced house in Ilford with a new loft dormer
Ilford · loft conversion with rear dormer and Juliet balcony · planning approved
Three-dimensional front view of a house in Hornchurch, with a first-floor side extension
Hornchurch · rear infill and first-floor side extension · planning approved June 2026 · Thames Water build-over agreed · Building Control full plans approved
Three-dimensional front view of the house
Essex · change of use for a family house · refused, then planning approved on appeal, August 2026

Commercial work

Walk through a restaurant before it's built.

We were commissioned to design a new branch for a world buffet restaurant chain in the south of England. Our client wanted to walk through the whole restaurant as part of the design process, so we modelled it in SketchUp and made this walk-through: the entrance hall in stacked stone, the aisle of food counters from Japanese to Indian, and the dining hall along a wall of windows. It isn't the final design but a work-in-progress model, which helped our client visualise the spaces while they could still be changed.

World buffet restaurant, south of England · interior design · work-in-progress SketchUp walk-through · design visual

Earlier work

Twenty years before DZP Studio had a name.

Before the practice, our director worked on some of the most recognisable buildings of the last two decades (from the UK Pavilion at the Shanghai Expo to a 210,000 m² mixed-use quarter in Shenzhen and a bank headquarters in Oman) and on projects as small as a café on a beach and a restaurant in a pub. Different scale, same habits: a drawing that can be built, and a design that earns its budget. Completed as part of the teams at the practices concerned, before DZP Studio; images courtesy of those practices and their photographers.

The UK Pavilion at the Shanghai Expo 2010, a cube of thousands of acrylic rods, under construction
UK Pavilion, Shanghai Expo 2010
Aerial view of a domed visitor attraction set in landscaped gardens beside water
Eden Project
A low café with a rippled weathering-steel shell on the shingle at Littlehampton beach
Littlehampton café, West Sussex
Restaurant interior with chandeliers made of draped chain, Konstam at the Prince Albert, London
Konstam at the Prince Albert, London
Small studio buildings with folded, crinkled metal roofs set among pine trees at dusk
Creative units and art centre
Concept sketch of a bank branch for a younger generation, with open lounge seating and screens
A bank branch for Generation Y · concept
Visual of three glass towers above a curved podium, UCD Nanshan District B, Shenzhen
UCD Nanshan District B, Shenzhen · 210,000 m² mixed-use · project architect
Visual of the National Bank of Oman headquarters, a stepped stone-clad office building with deep shading
National Bank of Oman headquarters · design architect · built

Your address next

Every one of these started with the same question: what can be built, and is it worth it?

The plotwise report by DZP answers it for your address: planning constraints, precedents, an estimate of value and yield. A chartered architect checks it before it is sent and goes through it with you on a free 30-minute call, with design ideas for your property. £149 including VAT, deducted from our fee if you go on to hire us for the project.

Get the report: £149

Get in touch

Tell us about your project.

Whether you're just starting out or picking up a project halfway, we'd love to hear from you.

Check your addressSend an enquiry