A contemporary house at dusk set into the Suffolk landscape, glazing glowing warm against the evening

Buildings made to ( belong )

An architecture and high-end renovation studio working across Suffolk and the East Anglian coast.

52.0567° N / 1.1482° E
Est. MMIX · Woodbridge

( 01 ) The Practice

A considered approach to every detail.

Our process is rooted in observation and restraint. We study the environment, the light, and the way a space will truly be lived in, before shaping architecture that is both technically precise and quietly resonant.

A deliberately small practice, taking on a handful of commissions each year so each receives our full attention.

View selected work

Selected
Press & Awards

RIBA Chartered Practice Dezeen RIBA East Award 2023 Don't Move, Improve! Finalist Grand Designs The Modern House AJ Architecture Awards Wallpaper*

( 02 ) Philosophy

Architecture that listens before it speaks.

A contemporary brick-and-timber house set within its green Suffolk plot

A double-height interior with warm timber and considered daylight

We work closely with our clients, never to impose a predefined style, but to uncover what is essential to them.

The result is architecture that feels personal without being complicated. Refined, balanced, and quietly distinctive: buildings that reward a second look and a long acquaintance.

( 03 ) Selected Work

Two recent houses, told in full.

Rather than a wall of thumbnails: a closer look at two commissions, one a contemporary coastal new build and one the restoration of a listed granary, from first principle to final detail.

Marsh House, a contemporary dwelling clad in dark timber with deep window reveals, glowing at dusk

Case Study · 01

Marsh ( House )

Walberswick, Suffolk

A family home set low into the Walberswick marshes. Dark-stained timber and deep window reveals give it a quiet, weathered presence, while a long southern elevation opens almost entirely to the reed beds, drawing the changing coastal light deep into every room.

Typology: New build dwelling
Scope: Architecture & interiors
Completed: 2024
Recognition: RIBA East shortlist

The Granary, a calm contemporary interior set within a restored timber-framed building

Case Study · 02

The ( Granary )

Lavenham, Suffolk

A sixteenth-century timber-framed granary, brought back from near-dereliction. We repaired the historic frame in green oak, then set a calm, contemporary interior within it, allowing the original structure to remain the hero, old and new in easy conversation.

Typology: Listed restoration
Designation: Grade II
Completed: 2023
Scope: Restoration & extension

Further commissions: Saltwater Retreat, Aldeburgh · Dovecote Barn, Dennington · Mill House, Framlingham · Eastgate, Bury St Edmunds. The full portfolio is shared on enquiry.

Enquire about a commission

( 04 ) The Approach

From the first conversation to the day you turn the key.

A light-filled interior by the studio, materials and daylight carefully resolved — Material & light · a recent interior

We guide each home through every stage of its making (early concept and spatial strategy, planning and listed consent, technical detail and tender) and stay on site through construction, protecting the design to the very last junction.

This involvement is not an extra; it is the foundation of how we work. It keeps the original idea intact from the first sketch to the final fixings, and means the building you move into is the one you fell in love with on paper.

Listen

We visit the site, walk the rooms, and understand the life it should hold.

Concept

Sketches, models and material studies turn the brief into a clear idea.

Consent

We prepare and lead your planning and listed-building applications.

Detail

Technical drawings and tender: every finish resolved before build.

Build

We remain on site through construction to the very last detail.

The Saltwater Retreat at Aldeburgh, floor-to-ceiling glazing opening to the coast

In their words

They didn't give us the house we asked for. They gave us the one we didn't know how to describe.

The Hartleys · Saltwater Retreat, Aldeburgh

( 05 ) By the Numbers

Measured by experience, not volume.

Sixteen years of practice, a deliberately limited workload, and a client list built almost entirely on word of mouth.

01Since 2009

Years shaping homes across the East of England

02Completed

Residential & architectural projects delivered

03Recognised

Regional & national design awards received

04Referred

Of new commissions come by recommendation

( 06 ) Disciplines

Four disciplines, held under one roof.

We carry a project from first sketch to final handover, so the idea you fall in love with is the building you move into.

Architecture

New buildExtensionsFeasibilityPlanning

Ground-up homes designed around how you actually live: light, orientation, and a deep respect for the Suffolk vernacular.

Renovation & Restoration

Whole-houseReconfigurationEnergy retrofit

Bringing characterful houses back to life: improving comfort and performance without erasing what made them worth keeping.

Listed & Conservation

Listed consentHeritageConservation areas

Specialist work on Grade I & II buildings, guiding you through consent with the care that historic fabric demands.

Interior Architecture

JoineryMaterialsLightingFurniture

The details that make a house feel resolved: bespoke joinery, considered materials, and lighting designed room by room.

( 07 ) The Studio

A small studio in Woodbridge, on the Suffolk coast.

A calm, light-filled studio interior with timber furniture and natural materials

Founded in 2009, we are a deliberately small practice, so the people you meet are the people who design your home.

We believe good architecture is patient. It listens to its setting, ages honestly, and earns its place over decades rather than seasons. Working across Suffolk, Norfolk and the Essex coast, we limit ourselves to a handful of commissions a year, enough to give each one our full presence, from first sketch to final handover.

Eleanor Aldous Founder & RIBA Architect

( 08 ) Enquiries

Let's begin a conversation.

We take on a limited number of projects each year and would love to hear about yours. Tell us a little about the property and what you have in mind.

Studio

The Maltings, Quay Street,
Woodbridge, Suffolk IP12 1BX

studio@aldousandstone.co.uk

Telephone

+44 (0)1394 610 220