Inkpen & Downie

Inkpen Downie is a chartered architects practice based in Colchester, Essex consisting of Architects and Interior Designers who work with new, existing and historic buildings. The Directors are Ben Downie BArch (Liverpool) MSc RIBA and Interior Designer John Inkpen LDAD, who have built the business on a strong foundation of knowledge and expertise, which underpins the working practice of the entire team. At Inkpen Downie we offer a fresh, open and efficient approach to design and are committed to achieving excellence through quality.

We enjoy designing new buildings and improving existing buildings to ensure that the owners get the best possible experience from their environment. We work on a range of different projects, including; hospitality, historic buildings, education, community and church, public and commercial, housing, ecobuilds, conservation and heritage and building information modelling (BIM) projects. Our studio, based in Colchester, Essex, is only a short distance from London and Kent, meaning our services are available further afield.

The conservation of historic buildings, design and materials is an integral part of prolonging our heritage. At Inkpen Downie we have in-depth knowledge of conservation practice and extensive experience working with historic buildings. As a RIBA Chartered Practice based in Colchester, Essex, we have a dedicated team who specialise in the conservation, restoration and development of historic buildings. We understand that each setting requires a bespoke approach, whether that is the repair of historic stonework on a Grade I listed building such as, St. Catherines Church or sensitive conservation and repairs to 18th century designs like that of Little Court.

As a chartered architect we offer a planning consultancy service in Colchester, Essex. We have a very high success rate with planning and listed building applications. This is built on a sound knowledge of policy that allows us to filter out at an early stage proposals that are likely to be refused. Planning permission, is the task of gaining formal permission from a local authority for building or development. Submitted to the local planning authority, the application for permission is submitted and will be granted (occasionally subject to certain conditions) or refused.

At Inkpen Downie, we enjoy designing new buildings and improving existing ones. As one of the leading BIM architects in Colchester, Essex, we offer a wide range of services across a number of different projects. In-house we have architects, both conservation and modern, designers and technicians alongside a BREEAM consultant if required. We're here to bring your ideas to reality, making the process as stress free as possible. Take a look below to see how our services can help you.