A few years ago, most of my work was focused on master planning entire communities. I worked at a much larger scale, considering movement, public spaces, connections and how neighbourhoods could adapt and develop over time.
Today, my focus is much more personal. I design bespoke homes around the needs of individuals and families, considering everything from how someone moves through their home to how a bedroom connects with a bathroom or how a kitchen can support greater independence.
On paper, these might seem like very different areas of architecture.
But moving from master planning to bespoke residential design has made me realise how much they have in common.
The scale changes, but the principles of good design remain remarkably similar.
Looking at the bigger picture
One of the things master planning taught me was the importance of understanding how individual elements work together.
At a neighbourhood scale, you might consider how homes connect to green space, schools, transport links and public areas. The success of one element depends partly on how well it connects with everything around it.
The same thinking applies inside a home.
A bespoke home needs to work as a whole, rather than as a collection of individual rooms.
For example, how does someone move from their bedroom to the bathroom? Can they access the kitchen independently? Does the layout work for their family and care team? Are there clear, logical routes through the home?
The scale is different, but the principle is the same: good design considers how everything connects.
Designing around individual needs can benefit everyone
When designing a home around specific accessibility requirements, it can be tempting to think purely in terms of specialist features.
But good accessible design does not have to feel clinical or separate from the rest of the home.
Features that are important for one person can also make a home more comfortable and practical for everyone.
Flush thresholds can support wheelchair access while also making it easier to move around with a buggy or vacuum cleaner.
Wider circulation spaces can provide the necessary turning space while creating a more open feel.
Smart home technology can help someone with limited mobility control lighting, doors or other features independently, while also making everyday life more convenient for the whole household.
The aim is to create a home that works naturally for the people living in it.
Understanding the person behind the brief
Master planning involves understanding how people use and experience a place. That might mean consultation, workshops and listening to different perspectives before developing a design.
The same principle is fundamental when designing a bespoke home.
The brief cannot simply be a list of architectural requirements. I need to understand how the person actually lives.
How do they transfer from their bed to their wheelchair? How does their energy change throughout the day? What support do they receive? Are there particular sensory considerations? What matters to them about their home?
Working closely with the client, their family and professionals such as Occupational Therapists helps build that understanding.
The best design solutions come from listening carefully and translating those conversations into the architecture.
Designing for what comes next
Another connection between master planning and bespoke home design is the need to think beyond today.
Masterplans consider how places may change over decades. A bespoke home can require the same forward-thinking approach.
Someone’s needs may change over time because of a progressive condition, ageing or changes in their circumstances. Designing with that possibility in mind can help a home adapt without requiring major alterations later.
That might mean considering structural provision for future hoist tracks, allowing for a future lift or thinking about how a bathroom could be adapted if requirements change.
These decisions can be much easier to consider at the design stage than after a home has been completed.
Future-proofing does not mean trying to predict exactly what will happen. It means creating flexibility where it can make sense for the individual and their circumstances.
The importance of co-design
One of the biggest similarities I have found between master planning and bespoke residential design is the importance of collaboration.
A masterplan is not created in isolation. It involves understanding the people who will use the spaces and considering different perspectives before developing the design.
With a bespoke home, that collaboration becomes even more personal.
The client and their family are central to the process, alongside professionals such as Occupational Therapists, case managers and other members of the wider team.
Each brings a different perspective.
The OT may understand how someone moves through their day. The family may know what works well at home and what does not. The client can tell us what matters to them and how they want their home to feel.
Bringing those perspectives together allows the design to respond to the person rather than simply responding to a list of requirements.
The scale changes, but the purpose doesn’t
Moving from designing communities to designing individual homes has changed the scale of my work, but not the underlying purpose.
Whether I am thinking about how people move through a neighbourhood or how one person moves from their bedroom to their bathroom, I am still trying to understand how people use a space and find a design solution around them.
The difference is that bespoke residential design brings that process much closer to the individual.
Every decision can have a direct impact on someone’s everyday life.
For me, that is what makes this work so rewarding. The architecture is personal because the brief is personal.
The scale may have changed from the macro to the micro, but the fundamental principle remains the same:
Good design starts with understanding the people it is designed for.
