Dorset buildings news, architecture images, architects houses, Southwest English property designs, England home projects

Dorset Buildings : Architecture News

Contemporary architectural developments in Dorset. Modern built environment designs in southwest England, UK.

post updated 20 Feb 2026

New English Buildings : current, chronological list

Dorset Architecture News – latest additions to this page, arranged chronologically:

20 February 2026
Highcliff House, Lamberts Castle
Design: MortonScarr Architects

photo : Unique Homestays

+++

18 November 2025
Dorset Eco Home, Dorchester
Design: Footprint Architects

photo : Richard Chivers
This contemporary new-build family home in rural Dorset was shaped by its riverside context and ecological ambitions.

+++

6 March 2024
Purbeck House, Furzebrook
Design: Gruff Architects

photograph © French + Tye
Located in the English countryside, close to Dorset’s Jurassic Coast and Corfe Castle, a beautiful modern extension has recently transformed a mid-Victorian semi-detached home, while at the same time retaining the property’s quaint style and heritage.

+++

English Architecture News

English Houses

Dorset Building News

11 Dec 2023
Jurassic House
Design: AR Design Studio

photograph © Martin Gardner
The Jurassic House consists of two private bespoke dwellings completed in 2022 by award-winning Winchester-based Architects, AR Design Studio. The site in a West Dorset village lies at the heart of the UNESCO World Heritage Jurassic Coastline, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and on the boundary of a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).

22 Aug 2023
Modern Barn, Dorset, southwest England
Design: Coffey Architects

photo © Phil Coffey
Coffey Architects completes the Modern Barn, a timber-wrapped coastal home-made of three linear stacked volumes over Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site.

13 July 2023
Subterranean WW2 bunker holiday home
Design: Corstorphine & Wright Architects

photograph : Will Scott
A former WW2 bunker on the Dorset coast, southwest England, once part of the ‘Chain Home’ radar system, has been transformed by Corstorphine & Wright Architects into an inconspicuous yet luxurious holiday home.

+++

8 Dec 2022
RIBA House of the Year 2022 Winner News

photo © Channel 4 and Will Pryce
RIBA House of the Year 2022
The Red House is situated in the rolling hills of rural Dorset. The owners fell in love with the idyllic location and stunning panoramic views when they first visited the site in 2011 and, 10 years later, moved into their dream family home.

11 Feb 2022
The Old Rectory Pool House, Dorchester
Design: Adam Knibb Architects

image : Numa
Adam Knibb Architects were appointed to design a proposal for a new pool house and gym at the Old Rectory site in Puncknowle, Dorchester. The site is an existing tennis court within the grounds of the Old Rectory, a grade II listed building.

+++

4 Nov 2021
Arts University Bournemouth Innovation Studio in Poole, AUB Wallisdown campus
Design: Professor Sir Peter Cook Architect

photograph © Richard Bryant
The building, as with the completed Drawing Studio, encourages innovation and creativity that is especially useful to the creative industries. Such initiatives have become hallmarks of the Arts University, which has particular links into the film industry and the performing arts as well as architecture, graphic design, etc.

post updated 12 Mar 2021
The Quest Residence
Design: Strom Architects

photograph : Martin Gardner
The house is built over an old quarry that was part of the farmhouse estate owned by the clients. During construction, structural challenges had to be overcome the discovery of a mine shaft!

+++

22 Oct 2020
Fisherman’s Dock, Poole

Plans submitted for landmark regeneration project in Poole

London: 22nd October 2020 – MHA has today announced that a planning application has been submitted for the development of Fisherman’s Dock, located adjacent to the Marina in the heart of Poole. A key vantage point along Poole’s historic Quay, the application looks to further enhance the iconic setting through a comprehensive regeneration project, which will see the construction of 228 apartments, a 118 bed boutique hotel, complete with rooftop restaurant and bar and commercial space.

With unprecedented views overlooking the harbour towards Brownsea Island, the new private and affordable apartments will be spread across four separate and distinctive residential buildings designed to reflect Poole’s quayside heritage.

The proposed hotel and 8,600 sq.ft of commercial space available for a range of uses, including leisure and retail, will cater to Poole’s growing tourism business, attracting visitors and creating much-needed employment opportunities in the process, whilst providing an enhanced and active frontage to the Quay. 

As a result of Covid-19, MHA was required to conduct a virtual public consultation for this project. With the help of its dedicated project team, a consultation website and animated sketch video were created, with a specific platform enabling local residents and businesses to comment and interact with the development proposals.

Hossein Abedinzadeh, Founder of MHA commented: ‘This project is inspired by the rich history of the site and its local surroundings; not only will Fisherman’s Dock regenerate this part of Poole, it will also give back to the local community with the provision of valuable homes and employment opportunities. This fantastic project will embrace the heritage of the site and create a prime cultural, commercial and residential destination in the heart of Poole.”

About MHA:  
MHA is a diverse property company headquartered in central London with regional offices in both Birmingham and Brighton. For MHA it is about integrity, discipline and building trusted relationships that should stand the test of time. The company’s warm and sensitive approach and empathy with the vision of planners, enables MHA to unlock the potential of bricks and mortar, old and new, with the experience, passion and dedication of its team, and tailored strategies to suit the unique characteristics of each project. MHA is passionate and committed to finding solutions for challenging property projects throughout the UK.

+++

10 Apr 2019
AUB Student Housing, Wallisdown, Poole
Architect: Design Engine

image from architects office
£24m student halls of residence scheme for AUB Student Housing starts on site.

+++

18 Sep 2017
Castle Cove Properties in Dorset, Portland Harbour
Architects: AR Design Studio

image courtesy of architects office
Situated on the Jurrasic Coast, the three house development sits above the public beach Castle Cove, overlooking the Portland Harbour.

Film on YouTube

17 Sep 2017
Woodsman’s Treehouse Dorset Building – shortlisted for Wood Awards
Architects: Brownlie Ernst and Marks Limited

photo courtesy of Wood Awards
Woodsman’s Treehouse is a two-person residential retreat at Crafty Camping & Woodland Workshop, a rural campus offering green woodworking courses and accommodation in a woodland. It was self-built by a team of skilled furniture makers and green wood craftsmen.

15 Aug 2017
Sawmill Shelter Hooke Park Building, AA Hooke Park, Beaminster, Dorset, Southern England, UK
Design: Architectural Association Design and Make students wirth Aurp Engineers

image courtesy of Wood Awards
The Saw-mill Shelter, located in the Architectural Association estate, was designed and built by students with the help of the school faculty and Arup engineers.

7 Jul 2017
The Crow’s Nest Residence

+++

3 May 2016
RIBA Southwest Awards Winners in 2016
Regional Award-winning buildings in Dorset:

Bridport Household Recycling Centre, Bridport:

photograph : Peter Cook

Drawing Studio, Poole:

photograph : Richard Bryant

Student Services Building, Arts University Bournemouth, Poole:

photograph : Nick Kane

RIBA Southwest Awards 2016

22 Mar 2016
Bournemouth Design Competition
Zaha Hadid Architects shortlisted in the Bournemouth seafront competition to design a £25m landmark project.
This Dorset design competition was launched to design a cultural-led mixed-use development overlooking Bournemouth’s world renowned seafront.
The Bournemouth Development Company, a joint venture between Bournemouth Borough Council and Morgan Sindall Investments, sought expressions of interest for the design of a landmark development yards from the town’s multi-award-winning seven-mile-long beach.

3 Mar 2016
Drawing studio at Arts University Bournemouth
Design: Sir Peter Cook, CRAB Studio

photo from architect
AUB announce the opening of its new drawing studio, the first of its kind to be built in the UK for 100 years.

+++

5 Mar 2015
Ventura House: Dorset Residence

AA Architecture Competition in Dorset
Design Competition for the new central academic facility at Hooke Park.
The AA community is invited to take part in an ideas competition for the new central academic facility at Hooke Park. A design and learning strategy is sought to inform the design development and construction of Wakeford Hall.

+++

31 Jul 2013
Staithe End
Design: Henry Goss Architects

photo from architect
This four bed private house on the banks of Christchurch Harbour represents a real coup and a major precedent for high quality contemporary architecture in the most sensitive of historic environments.

+++

18 Jun 2012
Twin Sails Bridge Poole, Poole
Design: Architect: Wilkinson Eyre ; Lighting Design: Speirs + Major

photograph © Dave Morris / Speirs + Major
A project that had been 30 years in the making, Poole’s civic leaders believe their new Twin Sails Bridge is the key to the regeneration of the town. The challenge for lighting designers Speirs + Major was to use light to encourage people to engage with the structure after dark, creating a beautiful civic feature both when the bridge is open and when it is closed.

+++

Dorset Building Designs Archive

4 Oct 2011
Poole Harbour Buildings
2011-
Design: ADAM Architecture – Alternative Proposal

picture from ADAM Architecture
ADAM Urbanism has stepped in with an alternative proposal to try and overturn a new development in the south-coast town of Poole. The Council is due to decide on a controversial re-development on the quay next to the old town, submitted by developer Neptune Consultants with HKR Architects.

Canford School Chapel
2011-
Design: Bennetts Associates

image © Stale Eriksens
Award-winning architect Bennetts Associates has won the architecture competition to design a new Chapel and music school in the grounds of Charles Barry’s Grade 1 Listed Canford School in Dorset. Located in 250 acres of mature parkland, the chapel is to be sited at the edge of an area of formal gardens.

+++

Dorset Architecture

Major Dorset Building Projects, alphabetical:

Baden-Powell Outdoor Centre, Brownsea Island, Poole
2008
Wilkinson King Architects

Boscombe Library & housing, Boscombe, east Dorset
2007
Hawkins Brown
£2.4m
Open design competition winner 2004
For Bournemouth Council & East Dorset Housing Association : 24 flats

Bournemouth Library
2003
BDP
PM’s Better Public Building Award : Winner 2003

Faith House, Holton Lee
2002
Tony Fretton Architects

Hooke Park Workshop / school, Beaminster, Dorset
1993
Ahrends Burton Koralek
RIBA Awards 1993 Regional Award : Wessex

House on Evening Hill, Poole Harbour, Poole
2003
Richard Horden with Horden Cherry Lee Architects

Met Office, Exeter
–
Design: Broadway Malyan Architects

New Science Building, Bryanston School, Blandford
2002-07
Hopkins Architects

Pilkington Laboratories, Sherborne School
1995-2000
Hopkins Architects

Poole Bus Station Redevelopment
2009
Penson Architects

image : PENSON / David Barbour