Borthwick Design & Management

I chose Mark as architect for my proposed house extension, because he was the only one of those I interviewed who offered me an alternative to what I already envisaged. From there, he dealt with planning permissions, found potential builders and helped me to choose one, oversaw the actual build from the start to the final snagging, dealing with all the inevitable problems that arose promptly and efficiently, and checked all invoices at every stage before releasing them to me. My partner died during the build and Mark’s calm and efficient presence was invaluable through what was, obviously, a very difficult time. That is not to say he was overbearing – we had occasional disagreements about the way forward, and he remained clear, rational, pleasant and friendly, even when letting me have my own way! I am delighted with the final result, and cannot recommend Mark highly enough.

Mark Borthwick provided us with excellent service and expertise during the planning process for extension work to our bungalow. He clearly explained every step and provided us with alternatives when we came across issues. Nothing was too much trouble. Mark has a very calm and reassuring style of communication which we appreciated being novices in terms of the planning process. We are happy to highly recommend him to any potential clients. Adrian & Debbie Gatcombe

Mark Borthwick oversaw our single storey bathroom extension right from the beginning. He dealt with every aspect of the project from, design & drawings, the submitting of the required planning applications, & then organising the builder tenders & final selection. He also managed the financial side of the project, agreeing stage payments with the builder and then authorising payments as each stage of the build was completed. His deep knowledge of every aspect of the building industry gave us great peace of mind. Nothing was too much trouble and every concern we had he dealt with professionally and to our complete satisfaction. If you want a completely headache free building experience, Mark is most definitely your man!! Thanks Mark, we absolutely love our new extension!

We engaged Mark to help us with a redesign of our home - what we wanted was an improved flow, making better use of the square footage that we already have and creating a space that will work for us as a family. Mark immediately ran with this, and came back with a number of proposals -coming up with creative ideas that we had not considered. Mark's designs were clever, inventive and included all of the key points/important aspects that we wanted, he had really listened and understood what we wanted. His designs were also grounded in reality and practicality - he considered our budget and the logistics/build as well following an extremely detailed survey. Mark was responsive and excellent at communication and we wouldn't hesitate to recommend him.

Mark Borthwick managed our Kitchen Extension project really well. He had great ideas on how we could make the most of what we were trying to do and was very professional and thorough with the details. He was really good at recommending execellent people to do the work and giving us a range of people to apply for the bidding process. We did have some problems with our work and most were totally beyond our control (COVID, weather, etc.), but Mark adapted very well and managed to only result in some delay to the schedule. We've now got an excellent kitchen and are very happy. Would recommend Mark for any significant project you may have.

We would 100% recommend Mark. We finally found someone who gave us the advice and reassurance we needed (after years of planning & architect pain!). He is very calm, knowledgeable and professional and helped changed our view on our house renovation. He helped us replan our house so it flowed better downstairs, investigated more environmentally ways to heat our house and he expertly managed the tender process of finding the right builder with great attention to detail. We will definitely call upon his help again if needed. Julianna & Chris

Mark helped us on a feasibility study which allowed us to make an informed decision on a potential extension. Mark puts the client's interests first and his independent advice was extremely valuable. I would certainly use Mark again on future projects.

Mark produced the plans for Certificate of Lawful Development and Building Control for my garage conversion. He was professional and polite producing the plans quickly and responding well to my comments/suggestions.

We were really pleased with our kitchen extension which was designed and project managed by Mark Borthwick at B-DBM. He made great suggestions when compiling different architectural designs for our kitchen extension and took into account all our requirements. Having Mark project manage the build was also invaluable - it meant we were free from the stress of monitoring the budget and ensuring everything happened to the project timescale. He also advised us on money-saving tips along the way! We love our finished extension and cannot recommend B-BDM highly enough!

Friendly , professional , Complete the job within few days exactly the way i ask . High standard , quality and very reliable. Thanks Mark

As a builder I have worked with Mark's plans on many occasions. They are always very detailed and easy to work with. Mark is excellent at creating great designs that really maximise the use of your space. As a result of his great work, I had no hesitation in using him to design the plans for my own house which was extended and fully renovated. I would highly recommend using Mark.

Mark helped us turn our dilapidated bungalow into a brand new, 4 bedroom energy efficient house. That’s our house, the white one in the photos with the old bungalow in the corner. From the moment we met Mark we knew he was the right person to help us. It sounds odd but Mark was normal. He listened to us, didn’t try to force his wacky ideas on us and spent the time with us we needed in order to ensure things were correct. He understood what was important to us as a family. He navigated us through a difficult design process for a difficult site and then worked with the Timber frame company to ensure they understood the design. We self managed our build but Mark was there to assist us when we needed, clarifying designs, supporting the building regs and guiding us through the build process. I can honestly say that we would have failed, or certainly not have been as successful without Mark and his important inputs. I have spent a lot of time landscaping the front garden since we have finished the main build. People stop and look at the house regularly, they complement the design, how it fits into the street and the way it looks. We are delighted with the finished product, it’s everything we wanted and more and I would be happy to talk to anyone thinking about using Mark and encouraging you to do so.