Providence Lodge, Bakers Lane, Dorridge
Lapworth Architects were appointed to review and develop proposals for Providence Lodge on Bakers Lane in Dorridge, within the wider Knowle and Solihull area. The house sits in a street of large detached homes close to the village centre. The owners had already obtained planning permission for alterations and extensions and asked us to revisit the design so that the appearance and layout better reflected how they wanted to live in the house.
The original permission was prepared by Cross and Craig Associates Ltd, chartered architects based at Vine House on Station Road in Dorridge. Their householder application, reference PL/2025/00956/MINFHO, was approved by Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council in August 2025. The consent covers a two storey front porch and stairwell extension, an extension to the front of the garage, alterations to fenestration, new stone cladding and changes to the kitchen roof.
Our role is to work within that consented envelope and refine it. The revised Lapworth scheme keeps the approved volume but rebalances the main elevation so that porch, gable and garage read as a single composition. The entrance is expressed as a clear central bay with a simple pitched roof, flanked by regularised window openings. Materials are simplified to a palette of render above a brick plinth with carefully placed stone panels, giving the house a calmer frontage that relates well to neighbouring properties in Dorridge and Knowle.
Inside, we adjust openings and circulation so that the stair core, kitchen and family spaces connect more logically and take better advantage of garden views. The relationship between house, garage and forecourt is tightened so that the approach, parking and entrance feel like one ordered space rather than separate elements. The emphasis is on proportion, daylight and everyday usability rather than visual effect alone.
The planning strategy uses the existing approval as a baseline. Any changes are tested against Solihull Local Plan policies on design, amenity and character, with council-ready drawings and documents prepared through our normal digital workflow, including UK Planning Gateway. This allows clear version control between the consented scheme and the revised proposals as they progress with the local authority.
For homeowners searching for architects in Solihull, architects in Dorridge or comparing practices such as Cross and Craig Associates with alternatives, Providence Lodge shows how Lapworth Architects approach this type of commission. We respect existing permissions, work carefully with the built context and organise the house around straightforward family use, all within a clear planning and technical framework.
