Lesley Hally
Principal Architect
BSc Arch BArch (Hons) RIBA
Amelia Samways
Associate Architect
BA (Hons) MArch RIBA
Latest news from LA Hally Architect
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!
December 2025
Last week we had our Christmas party which started with an escape room and ended with a lovely festive dinner! Just to note that our office will be closing this Friday (19th December) for the Christmas period and we’ll be re-opening in the new year on Monday 5th January. Until then, we wish you a Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year!
Year Wrap Up 2025
December 2025
2025 has been a whirlwind for us here at LA Hally Architect but here are some of the highlights from this past year!
We’ve had lots of projects through the planning stage including Houses 793, 795, 821, 830, 835, 836, 839 & 842. This covers a real mix of projects from family home extensions to a new build in conservation area. We’ve got a couple more in the planning process at the moment so keep an eye out for updates on Houses 837 & 838! These are both super exciting projects, the former is a conversion of an old farm building, and the latter is an extension & partial rebuild of a community village hall in Buckinghamshire.
Houses 787, 792, 803, 817, 821, 830 and 839 have all started on site with Houses 836 & 848 heading towards that stage too. We’ll hopefully have some final pictures to share come the new year!
Houses 643, 737, 753, 818 have finished on site and are all lovely projects. We had lots of professional photoshoots on site this year including Houses 737, 753, 818, but also House 439, a SIPS construction cantilevered extension to a family home in the Twyford conservation area.
This year, the press features have been all about annexes. This includes two features for House 596, a bold extension & new build annexe in the Stockbridge conservation area, and one for House 456, another annexe project in a conservation area but this time was for a conversion of an ex-coach house rather than a new build.
This year we also launched our new website and have had lots of lovely reviews left for us on Google which are always much appreciated! We also made time to visit the Futurebuild Expo in London which we ended with a lovely walk through the city.
Our office closes after our last day on Friday 19th December 2025 until we re-open again on Monday 5thJanuary 2026. There’s lots of exciting projects in the works with us at the moment including House 846, an angled extension in a conservation area, and House 850, a renovation project in a Grade II listed farmhouse. There’s plenty more in the pipeline so we’re looking forward to seeing what 2026 will bring!
Office – Christmas Card 2025
December 2025
Happy December everyone! We’re starting to feel festive here in the office with this year’s Christmas card arriving from the printers. The card features House 753 which has been turned into a winter wonderland ❄️📸 Jack Tyzack-Smith
Planning – House 795
November 2025
Permission was recently granted by Winchester City Council for a replacement dwelling within the Winchester conservation area! This new build utilises a double pitch to achieve good head heights internally without becoming overly imposing on its local streetscape.
Portfolio – House 818
November 2025
The interiors for House 818 were fashioned to the client’s taste, creating well-designed spaces that feel intentionally crafted and well-suited to their function. All of the finishes work together to elevate the final finish of the home, all the way from the luxurious large format tiles lining both the floor and the walls in the bathrooms, to the charming floor tiles in the entry way.
Portfolio – House 818
November 2025
House 818 underwent a front and side extension that helped to rationalise the form of this family home. The openings were also simplified, creating a frontage that feels more intentionally crafted and well balanced in its proportions. We’re so pleased with how this one turned out, take a look at the before shot to see how much of a transformation this home has seen!
📸 Jack Tyzack-Smith
Press – House 596
November 2025
We’ve been featured in Build It’s December 2025 edition! This feature piece discusses some key considerations around designing annexes including aesthetics, landscaping, and how to make best use of the space that can be added. We often look at annexes for our clients so it was nice to get the opportunity to share knowledge on the topic. Check out more press features here!
Portfolio – House 753
October 2025
Inside House 753, each room has been renovated with a focus on finding a balance between the new, the existing, and the client’s aesthetic preferences. Soft warm tones flow throughout, creating a neutral palette that left room for bolder accents of decorative patterns and vibrant colours.
📸 Jack Tyzack-Smith
Portfolio – House 753
October 2025
It’s always interesting to see how a design develops from the first site visit, to concept, to planning, and then to the finished works. House 753 is a good one to look at for this – the form took shape fairly early on so from there it was just refinement and detailing to make sure this was a home that functioned well and met the client’s needs and wants. We think this one turned out really nicely! Check out our Instagram to see some of the development work we did for this one.
Site – House 830
October 2025
We’ve broken ground on House 830! This single storey rear extension has made a great start on site, we look forward to seeing this one progress over the coming months.
Planning – House 838 & House 842
October 2025
In the last couple of weeks we’ve submitted two very different planning applications! House 838 is a town hall which has extension and renovation works proposed, the other is House 842 which is looking to add a two-storey residential extension for our client’s home which is surrounded by private woodland. Fingers crossed for these two!
Press – House 596
September 2025
Lovely to see House 596 featuring on Build It Magazine ‘s Instagram page last week, this single storey side extension with a matching annex was an interesting one to work on! You can learn more about this one on their Instagram here, or our website on the projects page here.
Photography by Richard Chivers.
Portfolio – House 439
September 2025
This week we take another look at House 439, this time with a focus on the rest on the internals. Quirky tiles and vaulted ceilings make for well lit, attractive spaces that suits the family and the way the home is enjoyed.
📸 Jack Tyzack-Smith
Portfolio – House 439
September 2025
House 439’s kitchen is a striking highlight of the home. Custom concrete counters form an integrated inset sink and an island that has the concrete wrapping around the sides. The concrete is paired with dark units that complement this feature material.
📸 Jack Tyzack-Smith
Portfolio – House 439
September 2025
House 439 features a two-storey side extension and a bold cantilevered first floor extension to this family home in the Twyford Character Conservation Area. The extensions are formed from SIPS panels that have been finished in Vastern timber cladding.
📸 Jack Tyzack-Smith
