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Funeral Directors Expansion & Refurbishment

Our Shropshire architects successfully delivered a major two-phase refurbishment and extension project for H. Porter & Sons Independent Funeral Directors in Stourbridge.

The scheme was completed in collaboration with Three Pines Building Co and involved a carefully planned programme of works designed to enhance both client-facing facilities and essential operational infrastructure, ensuring the funeral home continues to provide high-quality, dignified services in a modernised environment. 

 

The adjacent church meant our commercial architects successfully overcame strict planning guidelines by introducing a glass link connecting the existing chapel to the refurbished refreshment room, along with a carefully detailed open brickwork feature at the junction where the historic chapel meets the new extension, allowing contemporary intervention while respecting the character of the original building.

Phase one focused on improving the public experience and included the expansion of office space, the full refurbishment of the refreshment room which can now accommodate up to 60 guests, and the landscaping of the courtyard to create a calm and respectful external environment for visitors and families.

Phase two delivered the more operational and technical elements of the project, including the reroofing and upgrading of existing buildings, the creation of a new mortuary, secure archive storage, dedicated coffin storage areas, and general making-good works across the site. These improvements ensure the facility meets modern requirements for funeral home refurbishment, mortuary construction, and funeral directors extension projects, while also improving efficiency, compliance, and long-term operational capacity.

Our Shropshire architects successfully delivered a major two-phase refurbishment and extension project for H. Porter & Sons Independent Funeral Directors in Stourbridge.

The scheme was completed in collaboration with Three Pines Building Co and involved a carefully planned programme of works designed to enhance both client-facing facilities and essential operational infrastructure, ensuring the funeral home continues to provide high-quality, dignified services in a modernised environment. 

The completed scheme represents a sensitive yet highly functional transformation of an active funeral directors, balancing heritage considerations with modern operational needs. The result is a significantly improved environment for both staff and visiting families, with enhanced facilities, improved flow between buildings, and upgraded back-of-house infrastructure. This project further demonstrates expertise in delivering independent funeral directors refurbishment, commercial funeral home construction, and chapel renovation projects, with careful attention to detail, phased construction planning, and respect for the sensitive nature of the site.

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37 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reviews
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I have recently finished my third project with Johnson Design! Two at my work premises and one residential. Matt Spinks is great to work with and always has great ideas and attention to detail. Will come back for any future projects 🙂

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Lucy LC
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From start to finish these guys were fantastic. I highly recommend this outfit I had them plan my renovation & they did such a good job I’m having them back to do another 2 properties that need pretty much the same work. Always at the end of the phone willing to offer any advice Matt Spinks has been a dynamite Tip top company !

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Mr Daye
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“We wanted a small extension to the rear of our property, to create an open-plan kitchen dining area. Vic and Matt helped us understand what could be achieved ticking all our wish list and more by also adding a utility and downstairs toilet creating a space we didn’t think was possible. They supported us at every stage of the project through to completion, providing their expertise every step of the way, making the whole process painless. We are really pleased with the result, turning our house into our dream family home.”

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Mark Evans
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Many thanks to Johnson Design for delivering exactly what we wanted: A bright, flexible, modern space which brings the garden and the lovely views of the upper Corvedale into our home, without losing anything of the character and warmth of our historic stone farmhouse. The family home of nearly 30 years has been greatly enhanced, giving a perfect blend of old and new, and the perfect venue for entertaining and family get-togethers. The extension was the proud focus for our wedding celebration and garden party for more than 100 guests over the Bank Holiday weekend, and bought in more admiring comments than we could count!

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Mr and Mrs Coad - Much Wenlock
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It’s a refreshing change to have such good service these days. I really have no idea how your prices compare to other practices, but on the face of they look absolutely fine and look perfectly fair & reasonable, and if I’m honest, pleasantly surprising.

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Steve Woods
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It had taken eighteen months for us to decide that we would re-locate to the ‘Strettons’. Moving house for us meant also moving an established ceramics and painting studio, we were concerned about finding a property within our budget that would also have the appropriate space.

It was obvious from our early property searches that finding the perfect ‘fit’ was very unlikely, so we took the opportunity to visit an open information weekend run by Johnson Design Partnership. We were immediately encouraged by what we saw and once we had purchased the property, we invited Johnson Design to visit and take a look.

Our original idea was to do a loft conversion as planning permission was already in place, but after a couple of exploratory meetings it became clear that this was unlikely to exploit the position of the property to its best advantage or indeed answer our need for comfortable bespoke studio space. These design conversations helped us focus on the true potential of the property, gradually the idea of a glass link between the original house and separate garage emerged as the way forward.

The final result is overwhelmingly better than we imagined it might be. ‘The Link ‘ has already become a creative centre, providing a light and airy space connecting inside and outside areas from both studio and house; not only is it a functional dining and living area but a truly peaceful and contemplative place to soak up the stunning changes in light of the sky and the landscape which surround us, but also a space to dream and imagine – a painting or ceramic form in the making?

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Mr and Mrs Farrell - Stretton Hills, Shropshire
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As well as our thanks, we would like to add our congratulations on steering our application to approval first time – with no hitches or refusals! This success, we feel, must be a result of your skill, expertise and carefully timed discussions and consultations throughout the planning process. – We have no hesitation in recommending your work.

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Mr and Mrs Pavard
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Johnson Design Partnership consistently delivered a series of high-quality and successful strategic feasibility studies, development options appraisals, and major ward refurbishment projects for the Royal Free Hospital, Hampstead. Throughout these commissions, JDP demonstrated effective project analysis, a strong understanding of the clinical environment, operational constraints of live hospital settings, and the rigorous governance, programme, and stakeholder engagement requirements associated with acute healthcare estates. I am pleased to confirm that, in my role as Director of Capital Projects for the Essentia Group, I have also been impressed by Johnson Design Partnership Ltd’s (JDP) service delivery on a major ward refurbishment and ward improvement works scheme. The project involved re-design, refurbishment, and upgrade of general adult ward, delivered in response to winter pressures, with schemes designed to allow subsequent conversion to paediatric facilities. Across all projects, JDP proved to be a reliable and proactive consultant, providing clear leadership, well coordinated multi-disciplinary design input, and pragmatic, deliverable solutions aligned with both clinical needs and capital cost constraints.

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Director of Capital Projects for the Essentia Group