RIBA Chartered Architects
Tunbridge Wells, Kent and the South East
Calm, characterful and carefully resolved.
Sharpe Architecture is a RIBA Chartered residential architecture practice in Tunbridge Wells, working with homeowners across Kent, Sussex, London and the South East.
Our work often begins with houses that have potential, but need a clearer relationship between layout, light, materials, garden, budget and everyday life.
We bring design judgement, visual clarity and technical care to projects that need more than a standard set of drawings
Selected Projects
Our projects range from carefully detailed extensions to whole-house refurbishments, retrofit-led renovations, new homes and replacement dwellings in sensitive settings.
What connects them is a careful reading of the existing house, the client’s brief and the route from early idea to built reality.
How We Can Help
We are a full service architect, we aim to be with you every step along the way to provide support.
Each project begins with a careful reading of the house, the site and the brief.
We consider the existing building where there is one, the light, setting, materials, views, constraints and the way the home needs to be lived in. This helps us understand where the real opportunity lies, and whether the right response should be subtle, ambitious or somewhere between the two.
From there, we help clients find the right level of change. Sometimes that means a carefully judged extension. Sometimes it means a more substantial reworking of an existing house. Sometimes it means a new home shaped carefully around its setting.
We use drawings and visualisations throughout the design process, so that ideas can be understood clearly before they are taken too far.
The aim is a proposal that feels natural to the house and its setting, rather than imposed upon them.
Design, Detail & Delivery.
Good residential architecture depends on judgement at every stage.
Early decisions shape the character of the project. Later decisions determine whether that character survives. Planning strategy, technical design, retrofit measures, materials, services, budgets and contractor information all need to be considered together.
We have particular experience with residential projects in sensitive settings, including conservation areas, Green Belt sites, older buildings and homes where planning, sustainability or technical coordination need careful handling.
Our work can continue from early design and planning through to technical design, tender, pre-construction and construction support, giving the project a clearer route from idea to built reality.
Warmth, Character & Longevity
We are interested in homes that feel settled, generous and comfortable over time.
We often work with existing buildings, where the character of the house is part of the opportunity. Natural materials, careful detailing and restrained contemporary additions can bring warmth and clarity without stripping away what makes a place feel familiar.
Sustainability is treated in the same way: not as a separate feature, but as part of making the house better. Depending on the project, this may include improved insulation, better glazing, ventilation, efficient heating systems, solar panels, low-energy strategies and careful reuse of existing buildings.
Our retrofit work is practical and design-led: warmer homes, lower energy use and better comfort, without making sustainable measures feel like separate features.
Studio
Sharpe Architecture is led by Frances and Simon Sharpe, a husband-and-wife team based in Tunbridge Wells.
We are a small practice by choice. Clients work directly with us, and each project is shaped with close attention, senior judgement and a clear sense of responsibility.
Our background includes work with respected London and South East practices on residential, cultural and community projects. That experience informs how we approach design, planning, technical coordination and the careful delivery of buildings from early ideas to completion.
We are interested in homes that are modern without feeling cold, practical without feeling ordinary, and carefully detailed without losing their sense of ease.
Let’s talk about your project.
If you are planning an extension, renovation, whole-house refurbishment or new home, we would be pleased to hear from you.
Tell us a little about the property, what is not working at the moment, what you are hoping to achieve and your approximate budget.
We will let you know whether we think we think we can help and suggest the most sensible next step.