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Designing homes across the Surrey Hills

Architecture shaped by landscpe, planning context and how you want to live.

Design-led architects working across the Surrey Hills

At George & James, we design homes and buildings that improve how people live.

Our work is grounded in the belief that good architecture should feel calm, thoughtful and effortless to use in everyday life. Whether it’s a new home, a comprehensive refurbishment or the transformation of an existing building, we approach each project with care, clarity and a focus on long-term value.

From our studio in West Sussex, we work across the South Downs and Surrey Hills, creating architecture that is closely connected to its landscape and carefully tailored to its setting.

If you’re considering a project in the Surrey Hills, we’d be happy to hear what you’re planning. Start a conversation.

Architecture in the Surrey Hills

The Surrey Hills are among England’s most distinctive landscapes, defined by rolling countryside, woodland, protected views and historic rural settlements.

Working within these areas often involves sensitive planning contexts, including National Landscape designation, conservation areas and sites where the relationship between building and landscape must be carefully considered.

Rather than seeing this as a constraint, we see it as a design opportunity and create architecture that feels grounded, purposeful and deeply connected to its surroundings.

If you’re considering a project in the Surrey Hills, we’d be happy to hear what you’re planning. Start a conversation.

View of rear elevation, rendered finish with large windows and doors to the garden
Garden room cranleigh with living room

How this shapes your home

Designing in these landscapes shapes every decision, from early concept through to detailed design.

It often leads to homes that are better oriented to light and views, more carefully integrated into their surroundings, and more considered in how they sit within the land.

It also encourages a more refined approach to form and materiality, creating buildings that feel calm, restrained and appropriate to their setting, while still supporting contemporary ways of living.

The result is often a home that feels quietly confident, well-resolved and deeply connected to place.

If you’re considering a project in the Surrey Hills, we’d be happy to hear what you’re planning. Start a conversation.

What we do

We specialise in high-quality residential projects and most of our work in the Surrey Hills involves the transformation of existing homes, substantial rural refurbishments and replacement dwellings in sensitive landscape settings.

We combine architecture, interior design and project management to guide projects from the first conversation through planning, technical design and construction to completion.

We typically work on high-quality residential projects where detail, design quality and long-term value are central to the brief.

If you’re considering a project in the Surrey Hills, we’d be happy to hear what you’re planning. Start a conversation.

April Cottage exterior
Godalming home kitchen
Simon and Darren sketching

Why George & James

We believe good architecture should make everyday life better. That belief runs through everything we do. from early conversations and concept design through to planning, technical delivery and construction.

Working in the South Downs and Surrey Hills has given us extensive experience navigating sensitive landscapes, complex planning contexts and sites where design ambition must be carefully balanced with environmental and regulatory considerations.

Clients often choose us because they want a calm, collaborative process led by a small, experienced team who can guide decisions clearly and confidently from start to finish.

Above all, we focus on creating homes that feel thoughtful, well-resolved and genuinely enjoyable to live in.

Every successful project begins with a conversation.

If you’re considering a project in the Surrey Hills, we’d be happy to hear what you’re planning. Start a conversation.

Simon and Darren sketching
The Grove Sitting room

Client Testimonials.

  • “George and James Architects have created a light, open and sociable space – a new focal point for the house and our family, and exactly what we were looking for. Their management of the whole process, from initial designs, through to planning approval and then the build itself was seamless and efficient.”

    Aled & Francesca, Clissold Crescent

  • “Our architects have created a simple and comfortable extension which has transformed the house. We valued their ability to work within our limited budget without cutting corners or compromising the design. They were unfailingly helpful and responsive to our needs and we are very happy with the results.”

    Arlington Avenue, James and Effric

  • “We wanted to express such deep thanks and gratitude to all those at George and James that have made our ‘summer auction purchase’ the most spectacular set of buildings and most importantly a place to bring up our children – a home beyond anything we imagined when we bought our burnt down site in 2020. We have also thoroughly appreciated how George and James have pulled it all together, from dealing with the planners, the design team and the contractor, all the hard inches that can easily be forgotten when it’s all complete and incredible. You are such a fantastic team with a wonderful set of values and work ethic.”

    Homeowner

  • “I am an architect myself with a lifetime’s experience and George and James is the firm I picked to work with to support me in every aspect of a significant personal project. I picked them because they understand what it takes to make a really good building. They understand their business, they are up to date and they do what they say they will do. They are, in my experience, completely reliable. They have an exact knowledge of the project and always seem to anticipate issues before they become a problem as well as instantly recall exactly how something should be done. They are attentive to budget and programme, thorough in providing and coordinating information, and inventive and sensible about how detail is both developed and carefully integrated into an architectural composition. As a client, I have found them to be calm and consistent, positive and patient and a pleasure to work with.”

    Graham Morrison – The Farmhouse

  • “Simon was both friendly and professional in equal measure — the perfect balance, in our opinion.”

    Arturas, client and long-time collaborator