Session Mews
Site History and Context
A previous planning application for the redevelopment of this derelict site, proposing five residential units and a single commercial unit, was refused on several grounds, including concerns regarding design and layout. Mark Stevens Architects were subsequently appointed and prepared a revised application, which was submitted within five weeks of instruction.
The scheme has since been approved by Guildford Council and is scheduled to commence on site later this year.
Design Response
This new development of five dwellings and a single retail unit sits on the site of a former session music shop, tucked behind the High Street in Guildford.
Inspired by the quiet urban character of traditional mews courts, the design creates a sheltered, walkable enclave defined by texture, rhythm, and material restraint.
Each gabled volume is built from locally sourced, earthy-toned brick, with softly pigmented concrete lintels and reveals that echo the surrounding vernacular without direct imitation.
The architecture balances solidity and intimacy deep brick reveals, recessed entrances, and carefully planted thresholds reinforce a sense of enclosure and domestic scale, while a strong, simple roofline unifies the whole terrace.
This is a modest, materially rich addition to the village, one that responds to the site’s memory while offering a new place to live, work, and gather.
