Most architects charge a percentage of construction cost, meaning fees rise as budgets rise — often without any change in design work. REAFE STUDIO takes a more transparent approach. We agree a fixed fee based on the actual time and expertise required, giving clients genuine cost certainty from day one. As our database of completed projects grows, our pricing becomes even more accurate, informed by real design hours, planning variables and build complexity. If the brief changes, costs are clearly agreed before work continues. This fixed-fee model creates trust, removes financial ambiguity and keeps the focus firmly on thoughtful, intelligent design.

Designing within the South Downs National Park — especially with Grade II listed buildings — demands sensitivity, collaboration and a deep respect for context. At REAFE STUDIO, our recent projects in Lewes and the surrounding landscape, including 29 Friars Walk, No.1 Windover Crescent, Bluebell Cottage and No.1A Mount Place, demonstrate how thoughtful design can preserve heritage while enabling contemporary living. By working closely with conservation officers, engaging early in the planning process, and using a landscape-led approach, we create architecture that sits comfortably within its setting. Each project balances history, craftsmanship and modern functionality to enhance both home and place.

No.1 Windover Crescent is a sensitive yet ambitious redesign of a 1930s bungalow on the edge of Lewes. REAFE STUDIO retained the original ground-floor structure to preserve embodied carbon while introducing a new first floor aligned with neighbouring ridge heights. A light-filled southern extension, vaulted roof lights and carefully positioned glazing transform the home’s atmosphere and flow. A compact glazed link forms the new entrance, connecting old and new volumes with clarity. Despite a 200% increase in internal space, only six percent of the plot is newly built, ensuring a landscape-led, sustainable and contextually respectful family home.

REAFE STUDIO is more than an architectural practice. With over 25 years’ experience across retail design, graphic design, furniture and product design, our work is shaped by a multidisciplinary approach that brings clarity, craft and intelligence to every project. From heritage homes in Lewes to rural remodels, and from bespoke interiors to recent retail environments at Battersea Power Station, our design thinking is enriched by decades of creating spaces, objects and brand experiences. This combined expertise allows us to design holistically—where architecture, interiors and identity work together to create thoughtful, refined and enduring places.