Country House Design Studio

Our story

Country House Design Studio is the architectural practice of Ranald Boydell, building on 30 years experience in the UK and his native Australia. The practice has particular expertise in Country Houses, whether rural, coast or mountain, a weekend getaway or full working estate.

We see architecture, interiors and gardens as an integral whole, especially for the Country House with its unique combination of romantic natural setting and pragmatic day-to-day demands. We work collaboratively with interior and landscape designers to create a cohesive project, inspired by the historic partnerships of Lutyens and Jekyll in Britain, or Wilkinson and Walling in Australia.

Beyond the Country House, we work across a broad range of architectural sectors including commercial and community projects. For Town Houses, we take that same approach of integrating building and environment within the much tighter constraints of a dense urban setting. We are experienced with heritage conservation, including conversions and adaptive reuse, and sustainable development.

Well considered design is at the heart of how we practice architecture. The buildings we live and work in shape our lives, and architecture has enormous influence over a diverse range of issues, from the practical functioning of a space, to cultural and aesthetic styles, and our sense of community. We believe good architecture should seek to identify and resolve the often unspoken issues behind a brief, and to bring order and awareness to a setting which might have started with random and disparate elements.

Our regional base in the UK is around Edinburgh, the Lothians, Borders, and Northumberland, and in Australia the Hunter Valley, New England and North Coast, but we often undertake projects elsewhere and are interested in enquiries from further afield. Studio based design is a key aspect of our approach, with digital technology and the internet enabling this remote working.

Architects & Designers Project range: £10,000 - £2,000,000

Portfolio

Project: General