New Forest RIBA Contemporary Architects Practice

Forest Architecture

Forest Architecture Limited is a young and creative RIBA Chartered Practice, founded by Natalie Skeete in 2012. Based in Lymington (on the edge of the New Forest), we are passionate about creating beautiful, well considered architecture and typically work on listed buildings and other heritage assets.

The practice produces high quality architecture; designed to enhance the well being of our clients. We take pride in crafting buildings and enjoy being creative with how materials come together.

Our projects stem from a need to be inventive with design, to create beautiful buildings and spaces with soul. We believe thoughtful design can improve the way our clients live and work.

Forest Architecture creates contemporary, bespoke architecture with an emphasis on natural materials, good quality light and a conscious need for our buildings to harmonise with their surroundings. We particularly enjoy fusing old buildings with contemporary additions and place equal emphasis on how our buildings look; as well as how they perform.

We work collaboratively with our clients, consultants, contractors and end-users, to create bespoke buildings; each designed mindful of context, brief and budget. We are conscious of the limitations some clients may have whether it is a small budget or a difficult site; and therefore, have a strong belief in reuse and taking advantage of readily available resources.

Forest Architecture enjoys sculpting spaces of beauty and aims to create architecture that inspires. We have a particular interest in building conservation and work on historic buildings as well as contemporary design.

People

Natalie Skeete (Director)
BA(Hons) M.Arch MSc (Building Cons) RIBA Conservation Registrant

With her heritage lying in the Caribbean island of Barbados, Natalie was born and raised in Greenwich. London and decided at the age of 11 she wanted to become an Architect. In 2000, she moved to Hampshire to study architecture at the University of Portsmouth where she achieved a first class honours degree and two school design prizes. In 2007, she gained a Masters in Architecture at the University of Bath and is has been a visiting tutor for first year architecture students over the last five years).

Natalie began her career in London and for a short period of time also worked in Melbourne, Australia. Natalie's work has become more focussed on low-energy and sustainable design and she recently qualified with distinction, in a MSc in Historic Building Conservation; at the Weald and Downland Living Museum.

Anna Burton - Architect
BArch (Hons) Dip. Arch

After studying her Bachelor degree at the University of Nottingham, Anna moved to London and met Natalie whilst working at Squire and Partners. It was here she focused on high-end residential and mixed use developments. Anna completed her Masters at Westminster University and after qualifying as an Architect her residential portfolio grew, but the project sizes reduced. On moving to Bath and working on a number of private homes, her experience expanded to included listed buildings. More recently she has enjoyed the challenge of one-off contemporary homes.

After being landlocked for too long Anna moved to Lymington on the south coast, a stone’s throw away from Guernsey where she was born and raised and joined Forest Architecture in 2020. Anna enjoys focusing on small-scale individual projects where she can work collaboratively with clients to help them achieve their vision.

Past employers:

Squire and Partners, London
Block Architecture, London
Simon Morray-Jones, Bath
Ström Architects Architects, Lymington

Key projects:

Reiss HQ, London
One Tower Bridge, London
Horace Walpole Exhibition at the V&A

Approach

Forest Architecture takes pride in ensuring the quality of architecture expected of us is achieved.

Our approach acknowledges our Clients’ budget, constraints and ambitions from the very outset. We ensure our Clients are kept aware of costs from inception to completion and believe a continuous dialogue with our clients, their neighbours and all those involved, achieves the best results in the end.

We appreciate some clients don’t have the budget to start a new-build project from scratch, but they can afford to adapt and improve what they have.

At Forest Architecture, we believe architectural design needs to be homogenous with how buildings function in the immediate and long-term. It is important for us to consider how our buildings are maintained and how their usage may change over time. Spaces now need to be flexible and need to adapt to our changing requirements, so with the ‘long-term’ in mind, we like to help our clients develop a brief, that will be relevant for future years to come.

We enjoy the design process and take the opportunity to introduce low-energy strategies into each and every brief.

Forest Architecture is about being creative with the design process by sketching, modelling and visualising and we understand, not all clients can visualise ideas from plans alone, so we work hard to ensure 3D imagery is adopted from the outset.

Services

Forest Architecture provides full architectural services, as detailed in the RIBA Plan of Work 2020; whereby we work through from the initial meeting through to project completion.

Our current projects range from small domestic conversions to large residential master-plans and we give each project the same amount of focus.

Each project starts with a feasibility study. This is a short or long study that provides each Client with one or two design options that could be carried forward into a pre-application. This is a useful process because it creates dialogue with planning and conservation teams and provides advice prior to submitting the main planning application.

Once the project has received planning approval, the construction drawings, schedule of works and specification are then produced ready for construction.

Forest Architecture has long experience working on projects of all different sizes and complexities. We work on projects within conservation areas, listed buildings and complex sites and particularly enjoy breathing new life into heritage projects. We look to create better performing, more sustainable buildings whether they are existing or brand new off the drawing board.

Below is a list of typical services that the practice offers:

- initial consultation

- concept and feasibility studies

- planning and listed building applications

- general heritage advice

- heritage statements and statements of significance

- conservation plans

- a full set of construction drawings and details, schedule of works and specification writing

- interior design

If you are considering a project and would like to discuss it with us, please contact us on

(+44) 01590 688524.

Testimonials

"We gave Forest Architecture a brief to design a two storey extension to our cottage in Dartmoor National Park - the aim being to future proof our home and to be sympathetic to the beautiful surroundings. Natalie came up with a beautiful design which fulfilled the brief and sailed through all the planning committees with no difficulties and many compliments. Forest Architecture produced a very professional package of plans for the tendering process and ensured that all the necessary surveys were completed to ensure the viability of the build. We would have no hesitation in recommending Forest Architecture".

Mr and Mrs Ayrton (Meadow Cottage)

"We approached Forest Architecture to come up with some design proposals for our new office in Somerset. We also wanted the practice to consider the internal arrangement of the existing warehouse, because we wanted to convert it for use as a manufacturing facility for our contemporary furniture design business.Natalie worked on a number of design options and as we particularly wanted the project to fit into an 'agricultural' building language, each option provided a plausible outcome. We were delighted when the project sailed through planning. As a company, we are now looking forward to the next phase of the project where we can begin to look at the buildings in detail design.

I would recommend Forest Architecture for other projects because working with Natalie, you will be in very creative and capable hands".

Modus Furniture

"From the onset of our project, we have found Natalie to be creative, attentive and supportive. She has always responded constructively to our queries and provided the necessary information.

She was particularly helpful in the resolution of unexpected planning issues. In all respects she has conducted herself in an extremely professional manner and we are delighted with her services".

Mr and Mrs Bayliss (Solent Avenue)

We were very fortunate to find Natalie and Forest Architecture.

The whole process from initial contact to the successful gaining of planning permission has been professionally managed by Natalie.

We had our own ideas which Natalie took on board then added things which we had never thought off. Resulting in a design that we were delighted with. There were planning challenges which Natalie overcame to secure the project full planning permission. No mean feat in the New Forest.

This whole experience has been enjoyable and rewarding for us and we can't recommend Natalie and Forest Architecture enough.

Many thanks

Andy and Carlito (Honey Lane)

Get in touch with us today

If you have a project you think Forest may be able to help with - please get in touch