Testimonials

Aragon House – Eynsham

We had a great experience with Joaquin. He helped us through all the key stages of our extension from inception through to snag list!  Would highly recommend Keeps Architect. 

Mr & Mrs Smee – March, 2024


Avenue South – Surbiton

We chose Joaquin (Keeps Architect) for our home extension renovation project and are delighted with how our home has turned out. Joaquin listened to our desires for the project and came up with innovative ideas to maximise the key spaces that we wanted which included an outside covered area. Joaquin kept us updated at each step of the process and was able to quickly and efficiently respond to minor issues that arose both during the planning application stage and throughout the build. Thanks Joaquin!

Mr & Mrs Tappenden – November, 2023


Cottwold Meadow – Witney

Joaquin is not only a talented architect but also an excellent person to work with. Joaquin did an excellent job designing our house extension and also supervised the construction throughout the project. He is a very reliable professional and many times went out of his way to support the progress of the project. He was always available whenever we needed his help. We highly recommend Keeps Architect. 

Mr & Mrs Mirnateghi – October, 2023


Brae Cottage – Bookham

Another great project with Joaquin. He was very patient, responsive and flexible from the start of the design through to completion. We’re delighted with the outcome – a beautiful, light and airy, open-plan living space. It was great to have Joaquin support us throughout the project, particularly in helping us with the builder and specialist sub-contractors. We would definitely recommend Joaquin to anyone considering this type of project. 

Mr & Mrs Black – July, 2022


Hemplans – Witney

Really professional service. Keeps Architect surveyed our home, listeened to our ideas on what we needed and drew up some amazing designs. He was really clear with his communication and kept us updated and well informed on the next steps. highly recommend! 

Mr & Mrs Tomkys-Valteri – April, 2022


Thorney Leys – Witney

Keeps Architect was very helpful in all aspects of the design and planning process. Always on hadn to answer any questions, no matter how trivial. If I needed him on site, he would always promptly come out. I would definitely recommend Keeps Architect.

Mr & Mrs Harris – March, 2022


Turner House – Surbiton

We recently worked with Keeps Architect on a large extension and have already recommended them to several friends. Joaquin listened to what we were looking for, put forward some great ideas for our project, and was receptive to feedback and ideas from both us and other professionals. We found Joaquin to be very easy to work with, he has a clear communication style and is very responsive to calls and emails. Where issues arose (there were not many), he engaged with us openly to resolve these, and indeed went above and beyond to support some challenging situations we had with our builders. We wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Joaquin, and will be working with him on our next project.

Mr & Mrs Turner – January, 2022


Lindisfarne – Leatherhead, Surrey

Joaquin was a pleasure to work with throughout our project. The build was not always plain sailing but he was always available to assist and advise. The saying ‘old buildings, need new ideas’ definitely comes to mind, so if you are looking for a skilled architect with an eye for style that wows, then look no further.

Mr & Mrs Miller – October, 2021


Craddock’s Close – Ashtead, Surrey

It was a pleasure working with Joaquin. He patiently went through several iterations of plans with us – we were replacing a large conservatory with an extension and needed to work out how to best utilise the space – and handled everything with planning. He introduced us to 4 different builders and assisted us with the decision making process by showing us side by side comparisons of their prices. And during the build he visited regularly, worked closely with the builder and then spent further time once the builders were off site to document the few snagging bits we had. Would highly recommend.

Mr & Mrs Turner – September, 2021


Sun Room – Epsom, Surrey

Having been disappointed with our previous Architect’s plans we approached a number of Architects. It soon became clear that Joaquin was in a different league. The design he proposed was visionary, creating far more light and space. Joaquin challenged our thinking and transformed the space and the way we live in it, whilst keeping the character of the house and providing much more open-plan living.

Mr & Mrs Barnes – July, 2021


Hill Cottage – Dorking, Surrey

Keeps Architect was recommended to us and we were not disappointed! Joaquin designed an innovative extension on which everyone comments on. A big plus for us was having Joaquin on site regularly as this meant we had a full effective tender process. I would recommend Keeps Architect to others.

Mr Marsh – May, 2021


Eddie’s Cottage – Crawley, Oxfordshire

Absolutely brilliant to work with Joaquin. He listened to everything we wanted in our extension for our cottage in Crawley, Oxfordshire and gave us all the options we had to make it perfect. He arranged all the paperwork in such a quick time, knew what we could expect from him from the very beginning and always kept us updated with news. He made a big job so simple and straightforward!

Mr Liechti – February, 2021


New Suite – Weybridge, Surrey

We engaged Joaquin for a second time after a very successful loft extension project in 2014/15.  This time it was for a significant two-storey side extension.  We have again been very pleased with Joaquin’s work product, his attention to detail and his willingness to go above and beyond in terms of client service.  There was certainly no let-up in service or professionalism, despite the difficult year that we have all been through.  We would not hesitate to recommend Joaquin and indeed we look forward to continuing to work with him on new projects.

Mr & Mrs Greve – January, 2021


The Industrial Renovation – Esher, Surrey

New Dining Area

 Joaquin has chosen his profession wisely: He is both imaginative and creative but also diligent and thorough. He was always professional and calm (even when we weren’t!), full of elegant solutions to smaller problems and helped us along every step of the way, with planners, building control and our builders.

I think what most impressed us was that his interest in the project was as high at the final snagging stages as it was at the planning and initial construction phase. He was always on hand when we needed him, prompt, thorough and in command of the detail. We wouldn’t hesitate to recommend him to anyone thinking of starting on a renovation or a new build – hiring Keeps Architect was definitely one of the wisest decisions we made. Thanks Joaquin.

Mr & Mrs Hutchinson – September, 2020


Front, Side & Rear Extensions – Fetcham, Surrey

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We employed Joaquin to design a 2 storey side and front extension and open up our ground floor area to create an open plan kitchen diner. My husband works long hours and is rarely home until late evening, Joaquin made time to see us for consultations at weekends and late evenings. Throughout the whole process he was courteous, confident and creative. He was happy to listen to our ideas and give us some constructive feedback. He also put forward his own views and advice with confidence. He communicated well with us , the builder and the council throughout. We have changed an average 4 bedroom house in to a beautiful 5 bedroom home and we are very happy with the outcome. I would have no hesitation in recommending Joaquin and Keeps Architect.

Mrs West – August, 2020


Miles End – Epsom, Surrey

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Choosing an architect is like choosing a husband. You need someone steady who will go the distance, communicate in good and bad times, listen to what you actually say, help you navigate through the journey and is always on your side. OK you may not find a husband like that but Joaquin is definitely the architect who can deliver.

Throughout the planning process (which we changed 3 times) he remained steady, enthusiastic, positive and helpful. He’s an imaginative architect, happy to think outside of the box but will also listen and act on your more practical concerns or issues. We had issues with neighbours and the council which Joaquin dealt with effectively and sensibly. He worked well with our builder communicating, planning and finding solutions and overall made the whole process a little easier to deal with. We would thoroughly recommend Keeps Architect.

Mrs Miles – January, 2020


Rear Extension – Leatherhead, Surrey

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We engaged Joaquin to design and apply for planning for ground and first floor extensions to our house. We were impressed with his designs and had confidence from the outset that we had made the right choice of architect. Joaquin is creative, professional, courteous and extremely responsive. He is very receptive to feedback but equally is not afraid to constructively challenge ideas to deliver the optimal solution for his clients. He is always willing to go the extra mile and we would not hesitate to use him again or recommend him to others.

Mr & Mrs Hodgson – August, 2019


The Knock-Through – Ashtead, Surrey

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We live in a semi-detached Victorian property and wanted to increase the feeling of space in our house, since these types of properties tend to feel cramped and dark. Joaquin worked with us with extreme patience, consideration and ingenuity to find affordable solutions that fitted our vision. He dealt with all the legal matters, such as the council, structural engineer and building control with expertise and speed. He has a great attention to detail with architecture and interior design. Throughout the whole process, we always felt we could ask him for advice about even the smallest of things. Often he would come with suggestions and ideas that we hadn’t thought of. We are very happy with the outcome and are thrilled with the improvement to our home. 

Mr & Mrs Tabraham – June, 2019


The Get-Away – Bookham, Surrey

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Joaquin did a great job designing our new Garden Building.  The interior is light and airy and the exterior blends very nicely with the house and garden so we are delighted with the end result.  Thanks Joaquin!

Mr & Mrs Black – November, 2018


Exposed Structure – Surbiton

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On first meeting we found Joaquin of Keeps Architect to be extremely professional, he asked us lots of questions about what we wanted to achieve and how we expected to live in our new space, we had our own thoughts about how this might look but after seeing what Joaquin suggested, it really turned those ideas around. His designs of our rear and side extension, were beautiful. They made best use of the space, ensuring we had plenty of family room as well as giving us an office and dining area which really worked. We were very impressed with the plans he created for us. 

Joaquin dealt with all the documentation in regards to the planning permission which was a weight off our minds, everything was put together by Joaquin and then presented to us for review. Once construction began, Joaquin came out to see progress and was always happy help with questions we had on finishing and furnishing and also offered further suggestions once building had started to make the build even more unique to us.

We are totally blown away with what we now have, it is our dream home and without Joaquin’s input, we don’t think we’d even have considered what we now have. We wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Joaquin, his calm demur and eye for clever and innovative design is truly fantastic.

Mr & Mrs Ellis – August, 2018


The 3 Peaks – Banstead, Surrey

New Rear Terrace and Pergola

Joaquin was recommended to us and we would definitely recommend him ourselves.  We had a fair idea of what we wanted to achieve with our extension and from our first meeting, Joaquin was ready to listen to us, but also giving us some suggestions. He asked us lots of questions in order to have every little detail.  Throughout the process, Joaquin kept us in the loop and was very quick to respond to any queries or changes we had. Joaquin dealt with the planning application, which was great as we didn’t have to worry about it. We are really pleased with the end result and thank Joaquin for the quality of his work.

Mr & Mrs Annetts – July, 2018


Rosie’s Home – Leatherhead, Surrey

Rear Elevation

Joaquin provided us with Architectural services for our renovation / extension project. After discussing our project with a number of architects Joaquin provided us with the most aesthetically pleasing and in keeping proposal for our project which is in a conservation area.

Throughout the process he was extremely professional and talked us through what to expect and when. His proposal was sensitive and maximised the space to its full potential with ideas that none of the other architects we approached had considered. Joaquin also put us at ease early on with his open and approachable manner so that we felt comfortable making suggestions at the discussion phase even if implementation was not practical. He handled the negotiations with the local planning authority smoothly resulting in a timely approved planning application, followed up with support throughout our build. We would highly recommend Joaquin and have done so already to a number of friends and neighbours. Should we take on another project Joaquin will be first on the list to call. Thanks so much Joaquin for our beautiful new home! 

Mr & Mrs O’Brien-Ward – June, 2018


The Master Suite – South Croydon

New Rear elevation

Joaquin of Keeps Architect has been professional and thorough throughout the design and build process. We really appreciated him working with us to reach the design solutions which maintained the integrity of the original house design and successfully incorporated the new design elements.

Mr & Mrs Culbert – May, 2018


Cottage Renovation – Bookham

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Joaquin has been great to work with. He’s listened carefully to our ideas and gently formed them into something more concrete.  He’s been very patient when we’ve changed our minds about designs and he’s responded promptly to any queries or correspondence. We have no hesitation in recommending Joaquin of Keeps Architect.

Mrs Black – March 2018


Rear Extension – Surbiton

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For us the best features of working with Joaquin was his level of communication and the clarity. We were kept in the loop with all queries around the whole process from pre-extension design work, to the actual extension and most importantly post extension support. We would not hesitate to recommend Joaquin to our friends and relatives.

Mr Atang – February, 2018


Rear Extension – Surbiton

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Joaquin designed a single storey extension at the rear of my property for me. He proved himself to me highly professional and calm through the process. His designs were of a high standard and more than sufficient for the planning permission process and the builder. We had an issue with the permitted development vs planning permission process however Joaquin was calm and went the extra mile to secure the right permissions were granted as quickly as possible at no extra cost. I would use his services again tomorrow if needed and recommend him.

Mr Chappin – September, 2017


The Bright Entrance – Fetcham, Surrey

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Joaquin is a very talented architect, full of fresh ideas yet he is humble to listen to a client however crazy the ideas are and adapts the ideas to make something special. We were lucky enough to find him online amongst two other architects and as soon as we met him we knew he was the one to choose for our first ever renovation project.  Joaquin was very patient and helpful all the way from planning to completion. We couldn’t fault him at all. We’ve recommended him to 4 other friends who were considering to extend/renovate their houses and it’s not surprising that all of them chose him for their projects. However big or small your project, we would thoroughly recommend Joaquin 100%.

Mr & Mrs Bacon – August 2017


The Revival – Surbiton

After speaking with Joaquin and talking about what we were thinking, he made us feel confident  that what we were imagining was actually possible. He also offered other ideas that we hadn’t considered which added a greater dimension to our project. Joaquin was very approachable and flexible when sharing the design plans. Joaquin was also very helpful with contacting external consultants such as Thames Water, and Party Wall Surveyor for additional information. We would have no hesitation in recommending Joaquin to anyone else about to embark on a building project. You would be in safe hands with Joaquin!

Mr & Mrs Ellis – January, 2017


New Arrival – Walton-on-the-Hill, Surrey

Completed Extension

 

We found Joaquin of Keeps Architect via a Google search and have to say we are so pleased we did.  We met with three architects to discuss our plans for an extension and we selected Joaquin as he was the most professional and after discussing our needs he displayed the greatest vision and came up with some really fresh ideas.  We were delighted with the plans that were drawn up and Joaquin dealt with the planning application on our behalf keeping us updated at every stage. He also negotiated with several builders and helped us decide on which company to use. The build is now complete and we are absolutely delighted with the end result. It has truly transformed our ground floor living space and added a wonderful new bedroom on the first floor.  We would highly recommend Keeps Architect.

Mr and Mrs Hinton – June, 2016


The 2 Peaks – Weybridge, Surrey

New Bedroom

 

Having consulted some specialist loft extension companies whose proposals left us underwhelmed, we asked Joaquin to work with us to create an extension that would look and feel like it had always been part of the house.  We were impressed with the ideas that he came up with and the professionalism and patience shown through a number of revisions and redrafts in order to get it just the way we wanted.  The quality of the drawings were excellent throughout and we were particularly impressed by the 3D sketches that he put together.  After settling on a plan, Joaquin dealt seamlessly with the council and ran the tender process to choose a builder.  Since the building works started, he has been in regular communication with our builder, has visited the site on a number of occasions and has efficiently dealt with any on site problems as they have arisen. We are very happy that we chose Joaquin to work with us on our loft extension and could not be happier with the outcome.

Mr and Mrs Greve – February, 2016


Home Gym – Fetcham, Surrey

 

After a disastrous experience with the first Architect, dealing with Joaquin was an entirely different experience. Not only did he take on a project that had already started, but introduced a number of new suggestions which added value and enhanced our original ideas.  The quality and detail of the plans and service were above our, and the building contractor’s expectations. The availability, follow up, and interest shown in our relatively small project was also well appreciated by all concerned. I would not hesitate in highly recommending Joaquin.

Mr M. Brinckman – November, 2015


Loft Conversion – Tooting, South London

We already had planning permission for a loft conversion which involved raising the ridge level of the roof and were looking for an architect to plan this in detail. Joaquin took this project and also our aspirations for opening up the downstairs through to completion. He did this in a professional and helpful way keeping the project on budget. We are very pleased with the final effect and would recommend Joaquin to others.

Mr Davies – November 2015


A New Home – Ashtead, Surrey

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After we interviewed a few architects it was obvious from the start that we would get on quite well with Joaquin. He quickly understood what we wanted, helped us along the way telling us what could and could not be done and finally was flexible enough to accommodate all changes. Joaquin also helped us with the Planning Permission and advised us when dealing with the council’s comments and observations. I would not hesitate to recommend him and will definitely use him for our next project.

Mr C. Michelsen – May 2015


Gable-End Lighting – Morden, South London

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We wanted to extend our small cramped kitchen without losing a reception room which meant building on to the rear of our property. With concerns over losing light and not wanting to end up with a long narrow dark room we consulted with architect Joaquin Gindre of Keeps Architect. He listened to our requirements and came up with solutions to maximise the space we could have to enable a feeling of space and light whilst retaining the character from the design of the house.  Due to restraints from a neighbouring property initial problems with the roof were overcome with his suggestion giving us the look we wanted both internally and externally. We are very happy with the result. I found Mr Gindre very professional and would have no problem in recommending him.

Mrs Raper – February, 2015


The Guest Suite – Ashtead, Surrey

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We wanted to use the loft space in our detached Edwardian house, upgrade all the bathrooms and fit wood burning stoves. It was very important to us that all the work was exactly in keeping with the existing structure, style and materials.  Joaquin transformed our initial ideas and requirements into a detailed set of drawings and plans, managing to retain the period features and deliver a modern interior with some stylish touches.  RGBS itemised every cost of the build, delivered on budget (excluding a few upgrades or changes along the way) and maintained a complete dialogue throughout.  Every request was accommodated and the builders were all very skilled and took a lot of pride in their work, often working out of normal hours to ensure each part was finished to highest standard. The build was completed to a very high specification and both Joaquin and RGBS take a keen interest in the project even post completion.  We would recommend Joaquin Gindre and RGBS for a building project without hesitation.

Mr Dalzell – September, 2014


New Garage & Gym – Ashtead, Surrey

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Joaquin was a pleasure to work with. He listened to our requirements and then came up some really good, practical but interesting ideas. He was punctual, efficient, courteous and professional. He handled the planner and building control – working closely with the builder. Very smooth and efficient process from start to finish. We have recommended him to a number of friends who have also used him. We’ll definitely use him for our next project.

Mr New – August, 2014