Listed Building & Conservation Architects

Altering a listed building needs more than good design. It needs an architect who understands historic fabric, conservation law and how to make a case to conservation officers. LP ARKinnovation is a RIBA Chartered Practice with more than 15 years of heritage work, from listed palazzi in Milan and Florence to period and listed homes in London.

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Our listed building services

• Feasibility and heritage appraisal: what is significant about your building and what change is realistic.
• Listed building consent: drawings, schedules of works and the full application. See our listed building consent guide.
• Heritage statements and design and access statements.
• Renovation and restoration: specification of repairs, like-for-like materials and specialist trades.
• Sensitive upgrades: secondary glazing, insulation, heating and services that respect historic fabric.
• Extensions and interiors for listed homes, offices and commercial buildings.
• Site oversight: inspections so the work matches the consent.

Heritage experience

• Palazzo Beltrade, Milan: extension and refurbishment of a listed mixed-use building near the Duomo, with retail, offices and residential.
• Fondazione Invernizzi offices, San Babila, Milan: luxury interior refurbishment of offices within a listed building, with marble, engineered flooring and integrated building services.
• Palazzo di Giustizia and Ordine degli Avvocati, Florence: landmark civic work and the interior refurbishment of the Bar Association offices.
• London: period and listed homes, conservation-area extensions and a listed pub conversion.

Why use a specialist listed building architect?

Carrying out works to a listed building without consent is a criminal offence, and a poorly prepared application can lead to refusal, delay or conditions that add cost. A conservation-minded architect identifies what matters about your building early, designs changes that preserve it, and presents them in the language conservation officers expect. The result is faster approval, fewer surprises on site and a better building.

Grade I, II* and II

We work on buildings of every grade. Most listed homes in London are Grade II. Grade II* and Grade I buildings attract closer scrutiny, and Historic England may be consulted. Consent covers the whole building, inside and out, including fixtures and some curtilage structures, not just the front elevation.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need listed building consent for internal works?

Usually, yes. Listing covers the interior as well as the exterior, so removing walls, fireplaces, joinery or historic finishes normally needs listed building consent.

How long does listed building consent take?

Councils aim to decide applications within about eight weeks of validation. Complex cases, or those needing consultation with Historic England, can take longer.

Can I install double glazing in a listed building?

Sometimes. Secondary glazing is often acceptable. Slim double glazing may be approved where the existing glass is not historic, but it needs consent case by case.

How much does a listed building architect cost?

Fees depend on the grade, scope and complexity. We give a clear fixed or staged fee after a free 30-minute consultation.

Lucia Piccinini is the founder of LP ARKinnovation, a RIBA Chartered Practice working across London and beyond, including Chiswick, Hammersmith, Fulham, Chelsea, Kensington, Westminster, Tower Hill, Islington, Brentford, Hounslow, Richmond, Windsor and Maidenhead. ARB registered architect (085370D), RIBA Chartered Member and registered with the Ordine degli Architetti in Italy, with more than 15 years of practice across London, Florence and Milan. She writes a monthly column for Property Investor News, contributes to Fairness Magazine and speaks at property industry events. Press, articles and podcasts.