What Is Residential Architecture?

With over 15 years of experience managing residential architecture projects, Rodić Davidson works with both private clients and developers to deliver high-end homes and luxury residences. Emphasising an iterative design dialogue, we work to create homes that enrich the occupiers’ lives, guarantee everyday comfort and convenience, and respect the environment in which they are built.

Specialising in heritage building projects, complex planning environments and conversation work, we draw on historical architecture and leverage our extensive expertise to design the homes of the future.

What is residential architecture?

Residential architecture involves the planning, design and construction of living spaces. To achieve this, Rodić Davidson architects must balance various concerns and design elements, while ensuring the project meets the occupiers’ unique needs.

Residential projects require architects to balance functionality, aesthetics and comfort, while accommodating everyday activities and uses. We must also achieve this within the restrictions imposed by the site or existing build.

Contemporary residential architecture is responsive to considerations such as energy efficiency, environmental impact, planning regulations, conservation and historical legacy.

Types of residential architecture and residential buildings

Residential architecture encompasses a wide variety of buildings and architectural typologies. From luxury, high-end properties to innovative family homes that maximise available space, Rodić Davidson architects have built experience across all typologies, enabling us to work closely with clients on a diverse range of projects.

Single and multi-family units

Single-family and multi-family units include buildings that share no walls with other homes.   They offer the occupiers considerable privacy and can be customised extensively. While single-family units are typically occupied by a single group of cohabitants, multi-family homes are intended for several occupant groups. Duplexes and triplexes are excellent examples of the latter.

Rodić Davidson Case Study

New Build House, Southwark

Invited to construct a contemporary house on the goods yard of a working public house, we seized the opportunity to contribute to Southwark’s uniquely diverse and inspiring streetscape. Our resulting design negotiates the contrasting bulks and building lines of the surrounding architecture expertly, using a bespoke timber cladding to engage with the form of the neighbouring terrace. Lightwells, rooflights and strip windows ensure the massing dissolves into the skyline, while chestnut, russet, and grey-brown tones evoke those of the public house. The split-level floor plan is both visually striking and practical, with the scissor stairs and triple-height spaces offering multiple perspectives of the mature tree overlooking the property. By visually linking the principal rooms from front to back, we facilitated open-plan on all storeys without compromising the building’s natural light.

Townhouses

Townhouses are multi-storey homes that share one or more walls with an adjacent building. They are extremely popular in urban environments, where the premium on space encourages residences to expand upwards, meaning detached properties are less common. Our Pimlico Townhouse project is an excellent demonstration of our work within this typology.

Rodić Davidson Case Study

Townhouse, Pimlico

Existing in a state of significant disrepair and struggling with an unnecessarily convoluted floor plan, this double-fronted townhouse in Pimlico provided the perfect canvas for an ambitious extension and renovation project. Tasked with creating a comfortable family home, rethinking the floor plan, and adding space where possible, we drew inspiration from historic models while also integrating cutting-edge innovations. Chief among these was a new mansard extension featuring a retractable roof fitted with advanced rain sensors. This allowed for breathtaking views over the London rooftops. At the same time, we also opted to infill the outdoor space at the basement level to create a large lower-ground-floor room with a glazed ceiling.

Apartments and co-living spaces

Also extremely common in urban environments, apartments and co-living spaces feature individual units within a larger shared building. While apartments may share some common areas, such as outdoor or entertainment spaces, each unit generally contains everything an occupier needs. In contrast, units in co-living spaces often consist of a bedroom, with residents sharing kitchens, living rooms and other communal spaces. Today, property prices and the demand for space mean micro-apartments are becoming increasingly common. These extremely compact solutions use intelligent design to maximise the livability of small spaces.

Rodić Davidson Case Study

Pocket Living, Kensington

Involving the transformation of four nineteenth-century townhouses on Kensington High Street into twenty-three ‘pocket studios’ and a further nine apartments at a later date, this unique project required unconventional methodologies and out-of-the-box thinking. To compound the challenge, the tenants of the ground-floor retail units would remain in situ through the construction process and the complexity of the roofline prevented the creation of an additional floor using a mansard extension.

Instead, we proposed a partial reconstruction of the property behind its retained façades, allowing for improved internal organisation with no external manifestation to the high street. Securing planning consent necessitated extensive negotiations and a use-class swap with two buildings elsewhere in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.

Luxury residences

Luxury residences tend to be large, detached homes that leverage premium materials, innovative technologies and the latest architectural practices to create high-end living spaces. They emphasise bespoke designs that reflect the style and taste of the occupiers.

Rodić Davidson Case Study

Sartor House, Chelsea

A spectacular semi-detached Regency villa in Chelsea’s Carlyle Square, Sartor House has benefited from an exquisite extension and refurbishment. The project involved a double-height, fully glazed extension to the rear of the house, and an opening-up of the upper levels, introducing double-height roofs, a central mezzanine level and more natural light. The resulting home is marked by bright and airy internal spaces, a striking floating upper storey, and a fantastic blend of materials.

Country homes

Typically located in rural environments, country homes often emphasise tradition and aim to conserve or accentuate historical elements. The way these buildings are situated within the surrounding natural environment is critical and influences any architectural development.

Rodić Davidson Case Study

Listed Farmhouse, Suffolk

Attracted by the area’s natural beauty and diverse wildlife, a private London-based client invited Rodić Davidson to submit a design proposal for a listed farmstead. Intended as a secluded refuge, the project would involve the restoration of several Grade II-listed structures and connection with surrounding newbuild structures to form a single 10,000 sq ft dwelling.

Determined to maintain the expression of the original timbers on the interior and the buildings’ historic character externally, we incorporated large glazed panels between the traditional barn doors to create a symbiotic visual relationship with a new courtyard. A spectacular, frameless glass link also connects the restored farmhouse, kitchen pavilion, and two newbuild living spaces. Environmental factors were core considerations throughout the design and all structures were conceived as unobstructive, low-lying forms made from locally-sourced vernacular materials to mitigate their impact on their local environment. Informed by the latest environmental conservation theory, we built out the floorplan using a net-biodiversity-benefit benchmark.

Residential conservation, heritage and renovation

At Rodić Davidson, our geographic focus – primarily Central London – and the nature of the architectural typologies we work with means conversation is often a critical concern. Our residential projects regularly involve the refurbishment and adaptation of heritage buildings of considerable historical import and have the expertise required to navigate the complex frameworks and regulations involved.

Conservation architecture, and most work pertaining to heritage buildings, must reflect the importance of our shared history and recognise the value we, as a society, place on buildings that represent this history. Such buildings need to be protected.

Conserving high quality buildings enables us to recognise and celebrate the role they play in enriching our cities and our lives. At Rodić Davidson, we believe conservation requires a more philosophical approach – one that seeks to understand the values that society attributes to our shared history and importance of the building within this context. Our specialist conservation and heritage expertise enables our architects to understand and establish why a building has been ascribed historical significance and work within the relevant ethical, legal and professional limitations to make positive design contributions that meet clients’ needs.

Based in Bloomsbury, our conservation expertise is further enhanced by a comprehensive understanding of the architectural, design and planning peculiarities associated with property in Central London. Many of the projects we work on relate to listed buildings and are situated within conservation areas. This requires us to interact with a wide range of local organisations and ensures we are adept at securing Planning Consents, Listed Building Consents and Great Estate Licences. It also means we have invested heavily in building relationships that enable us to secure consent in challenging environments.

Rodić Davidson Case Study

Our Corner Cottage project in Wimbledon encapsulates the challenges of working in a conservation architecture area and our ability to successfully navigate those conditions.

Corner Cottage, Wimbledon

The Corner Cottage’s architectural peculiarity made it a fascinating proposition and an exciting project to work on. Named for the fact the property turns the corner on a row of 19th-century terraces, the original cottage featured long corridors, two front doors, closed spaces, and a linear flow. Rodić Davidson was asked to remedy the property’s awkward internal circulation. We did so by radically rethinking the spatial arrangement, adding a double-height extension with a new basement and connecting the ground floor to the garden and the central stair. Despite the property’s position in a conservation architecture area and a challenging sloping landscape, the resulting home is a triumph of architectural imagination and a testament to the client’s vision.

Design principles in new build residential projects

New builds constitute a significant percentage of the residential architectural projects undertaken each year. Figures show that 29,356 new homes were registered to be built in the first quarter of 2025. This represents a 17% increase in Q4 2025 (AJ Bell). This suggests growing confidence in the UK property market and greater demand for newly built properties.

When working on residential buildings, Rodić Davidson architects explore the project from several perspectives and through the prism of key design principles.

First and foremost among these are the client’s needs. Each of our projects is driven by the desire to create a home that empowers the occupier and facilitates their lifestyle. New residential projects are grounded in a comprehensive understanding of client needs and their concepts of what a home should be and do. Simultaneously, the build cannot be designed in isolation and must be carefully and considerately integrated into its wider context.

Aesthetics and finish are always a prominent factor in new builds, as the way a building looks determines our initial response to it. No matter the creative discipline, we respond positively to beauty and enjoy attractive things. Architecture is no different. In this vein, material selection is a significant aesthetic factor, though it’s also a practical engineering consideration. Environmental concerns, including energy efficiency, planning regulations, and cost considerations, will also influence the design.

Spatial organisation and the relationship between living areas are also important considerations. The way occupiers move through the building and engage with its distinct aspects and features influences the feel of the home and determines the extent to which they appreciate and enjoy living in it.

Natural light and airflow are similarly important. Recent research has demonstrated a strong link between exposure to natural light and personal health. It has also argued for greater inclusion of architectural features that introduce more natural light into homes (ERPH). Studies also show that natural ventilation features play a significant role in improving Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) which, in turn, has a positive impact on occupier health (Energy and Buildings).

Additionally, more natural light and airflow are beneficial for residential aesthetics and comfort. Light can open up spaces and be used to emphasise features and colours, while natural ventilation has a pleasant, positive sensory effect. Though not a new build, our recent Sartor House project is the perfect illustration of the importance of natural light in homes.

Rodić Davidson Case Study

Vintage House, Chelsea

Newbuilds in Chelsea’s Boltons Conservation Area are conspicuously rare. As such, working in this exclusive enclave of London bestows significant responsibility. Tasked with demolishing one of the area’s poorer quality buildings and constructing a new build that incorporated the client’s invaluable, sui generis sculptural collection, we worked tirelessly to create something truly original and blended the applied arts of architecture and textile design.

Rising four storeys from the ground and incorporating a new basement level, the Couture House is a much larger building than its three-storey 7m x 7m predecessor. Both visually striking and inviting, it acts as a spectacular frame for the sculptural garments displayed within. The client’s interest in textiles is referenced through the cascading fenestration composition and use of perforated panels, while an exterior view of the first ‘sculptural garment’ through unobscured glazing evokes the traditional relationship between architect and sculptor on relief for the façade. We also worked closely with Janie Lightfoot Textiles Conservation and Mavvaert, to create a succession of engaging experience spaces over the split-level plan.

The planning and design process for residential architecture

At Rodić Davidson, we incorporate these principles into our design process, ensuring every aspect of residential architecture is accounted for. Our process typically takes the following shape:

1. Initial consultation – we start by working closely with the client to understand their aims, needs, lifestyle, and budget.
2. Contextual analysis – we also assess the site or existing building early in the process, as this helps to establish project possibilities and limitations. As well as site topography and its relationship with the surrounding environment, we assess climate, local planning regulations and any other features that may influence the design.
3. Concept design – based on our analysis, we begin creating preliminary sketches and ideas. We aim to align the architect’s initial design ideas with the client’s overall vision – concept design is the simplest way to achieve this.
4. Design development – once the preliminary drawings are approved and all stakeholders are happy to proceed, the architect refines these early concepts and creates more detailed plans. This is the point at which materials are selected and confirmed, utilities and infrastructure are integrated into the plan, and the project moves from initial concepting to practical implementation.
5. Planning permission – with detailed plans complete, the architect submits the relevant planning applications to local authorities for approval.
6. Construction documentation – the architect will also prepare detailed drawings and specifications for builders, ensuring the vision can be realised on-site by construction professionals.
7. Construction administration – as construction is ongoing, the architect will oversee the building process to ensure it adheres to the given plans and meets all relevant quality standards.
8. Project completion – when construction is complete, the architect will perform final inspections, walk the client through the property, and address any post-construction issues.

Throughout any residential architecture project, clear communication is critical. At Rodić Davidson, we pride ourselves on the strong relationships we build with clients. Our commitment to absolute clarity and transparency enables us to work closely with customers to achieve a shared design vision in the most efficient and effective way possible.

Residential architecture with Rodić Davidson

At Rodić Davidson, our design-led approach to residential architecture balances the creative impulse and artistic imagination with a comprehensive understanding of practical project concerns and a keen commercial awareness. By always ensuring our work respects and reflects client needs and the site context, we create living spaces that facilitate desirable lifestyles and homes that express the occupiers’ distinct identities.

If you’re looking for assistance with a residential architecture project, we would be more than happy to discuss your needs and how Rodić Davidson can help.

Learn more about our services on our residential architecture page or get in touch and speak to a member of our experienced team.