Grand design project written in the stars

A grand design project by a Shropshire architect was one of the stars of a recent TV series fronted by Tinie Tempah.

Johnson Design Partnership (JDP), which has transformed water towers, riverside properties and Bishop Percy’s House in Bridgnorth, was selected by production company Avalon to be featured in its Extraordinary Extensions series.

The programme began with the rapper charting the progress of Evenhay Farm near Ludlow, a stunning £250,000 ‘angular’ conversion of a three-bed Grade II listed cottage and barn, featuring a new glass fronted annexe and glazed walkway.

Alan Harris and Lynda Hall decided to move back to the area from Nottingham and had the vision to work with Alan Harris senior to turn the family home into a place which they could all live in and enjoy the stunning views.

They turned to JDP for expert advice on initial designs, feasibility studies and securing planning, with the architect working with Hayward Construction to turn the dream into a reality.

“There’s not many bigger platforms than prime time national television to show exactly what an architect’s practice in Bridgnorth is capable of,” said Matt Spinks, director at Johnson Design Partnership.

“And the production company chose a superb, but complex project to follow, which we really enjoyed getting to grips with and overcoming some very technical challenges that arise when you work with a Grade II listed building.

“It was great to be interviewed about the design techniques we used and how we created the asymmetrical feature of the extension that Alan and Lynda were so keen on. It was also good to get the odd fleeting glance of Tinie Tempah and learn more about his passion for innovative design and architecture – two attributes I hope he felt came out in our work.”

Evenhay Farm, just outside of Ludlow, was completed in two phases to ensure the family could remain on site during the complicated build.

Vic Johnson, founder of JDP, said: “We’ve loved working on this project, a project that has taken a childhood home and transformed it into a property that allows the family to live together again and maximises its beautiful surroundings."

Alan Harris said: “This is our dream home and Matt and the team have done a fantastic job listening to our vision and always putting our best interests at heart. We’re so proud of it and it’s great we’ve been able to share the construction of the project with Extraordinary Extensions."