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Chesterfield Architects

RIBA Chartered Practice:
Based in the Heart of the Borough

MAD Architects LLP is a RIBA Chartered practice based in Chesterfield; this is our home town. Founded and led by Martin Rix, who has lived in Chesterfield with his family for many years, we have a deep understanding of the borough's housing stock, its planning landscape, and the ambitions of local homeowners.

We serve clients right across Chesterfield and the surrounding area; from established neighbourhoods like Brampton, Walton, Ashgate, and Somersall, to sought-after residential pockets including Wingerworth, Hasland, Newbold, Old Whittington, Calow, and Holme Hall.

Wherever you are in the borough, you will receive the same level of design ambition and technical care.

Modern kitchen and dining area opening to an outdoor backyard with green lawn, patio furniture, and trees.
A modern house with wooden and brick exterior located near a pond and surrounded by trees and grass with flowers, under a partly cloudy sky.
RIBA Chartered Practice logo with a crest symbol and text.

Bespoke Architectural Services Across Chesterfield

Chesterfield's housing stock is varied and full of potential: from the generous 1930s detached homes in Somersall and Walton to the stone-built village properties on the fringes of the borough. Many of these homes have excellent bones but lack the thermal performance, the spatial flow, and the connection to the outdoors that modern family life demands. We specialise in unlocking that potential.

Whether you need a creative house extension architect to reimagine your current layout, or a specialist for a sustainable new build on a challenging plot in Wingerworth or beyond, we bring nearly 20 years of architectural expertise and a genuine passion for Chesterfield's built environment to every project.

Artist's impression of a modern building with a brick and wooden exterior, large glass windows, and a black metal roof, surrounded by greenery and trees.
Stone house with white door, black roof, several windows, and a small attached garage, surrounded by a field of colorful flowers.
Modern two-story house with black wooden siding and stone accents, surrounded by a garden with colorful flowers and trees, under a blue sky.

Creating Space for Modern Family Life

Families grow, and traditional Chesterfield layouts: the 1930s semi with its narrow hallway and cellular rooms, can quickly feel restrictive. Our clients come to us needing more space, but what they really want is a better flow: a home that works as a whole, not a collection of separate rooms.

We specialise in designing seamless open-plan kitchen, dining, and family living spaces. By carefully removing internal walls and creating a strong visual and physical connection to the garden, we create a light-filled hub where the whole family can come together.

We also design for the long term: spaces that adapt as families grow, from playrooms to home offices to multi-generational annexes.

Check out our family home renovation at Old Tupton
Empty modern kitchen with white cabinets, wooden countertops, a large window, and a skylight, with appliances and a black range hood.
Modern dining area and kitchen with large sliding glass doors opening to a backyard with trees and greenery, decorated with flowers in vases.
A watercolor painting of a large house with multiple gabled roofs, stone siding, and several windows, surrounded by trees and a landscaped yard with three people standing near the house.

Transforming Chesterfield's Housing Stock

Chesterfield's mid-century and inter-war homes offer significant scope for transformation. We specialise in extensions and full renovations that rethink how you interact with your living space: going far beyond simply adding square footage.

Whether we are working on a rear extension in Brampton or a comprehensive renovation in Ashgate, we prioritise architectural continuity, ensuring new spaces feel like a natural evolution of the original building.

We use striking architectural features: vaulted ceilings, bespoke rooflight arrangements, and carefully framed garden views, to flood interiors with natural light.

From maximising generous plots in Somersall and Walton to delivering high-spec transformations in Wingerworth and Newbold, our designs add lasting property value alongside exceptional quality of life.

Explore our house renovation at Ashover Road, Old Tupton
A house with brick walls, large windows, and a roof fitted with solar panels. The yard is paved, and trees are visible in the background on a cloudy day.
A modern two-story house with beige brick exterior, large windows, and a glass enclosed patio area with white furniture, set on a green lawn under a clear blue sky.
A stone house with a pitched roof next to a stone fence and a garage, surrounded by trees and a clear blue sky.

Sustainable Design:
The "Fabric First" Approach

As a certified Passivhaus architect, Martin leads our team with a genuine conviction that sustainable design is not a bolt-on: it is foundational to every project.

Our "Fabric First" approach means we prioritise the building envelope: insulation, high-performance glazing, and rigorous airtightness first, then technology second.

What does that mean for your daily life? Imagine sitting next to your large glass windows on a bitter January morning, watching the frost settle over the Crooked Spire in the distance, without feeling a single cold draught. It means a home that is naturally warm, exceptionally quiet, and remarkably cheap to run.

Where appropriate, we integrate:

Solar PV and battery storage,
Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHP),
Ground Source Heat Pumps (GSHP), and
Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery (MVHR)

always tailored to the specific building.

Open-concept kitchen and living room with large sliding glass doors overlooking a patio and green field, furnished with a beige sectional sofa, glass coffee table, dark armchairs with teal pillows, dining table with chairs, and kitchen island with barstools.
Architectural rendering of a modern building with a brick facade, glass entry, and surrounding green landscape with trees and rocks.
Outdoor patio with wooden table and chairs, large sliding glass door showing interior dining area, garden with potted plants, and a blue sky with scattered clouds.

The Benefits of a Fabric First Approach in Chesterfield:

  • Beat the Derbyshire Chill: Chesterfield's proximity to the moors means exposure to damp, biting winds. Continuous insulation and airtightness eliminate cold spots and freezing hallways.

  • Tame Heating Bills in Traditional Homes: Chesterfield's older housing stock leaks heat. Trapping warmth inside significantly reduces reliance on central heating, saving money year after year.

  • A Healthier, Condensation-Free Home: Many local properties are prone to dampness. Superior fabric design and moisture management dramatically reduce condensation and improve indoor air quality.

  • A Quiet Family Sanctuary: High-performance glazing and thick insulation naturally block out traffic noise, creating a peaceful retreat from everyday life.

  • Future-Proof Your Investment: Upgrading your home's energy performance ensures it surpasses modern environmental standards and protects its long-term value.

A modern house with a large glass porch overlooking a well-maintained green lawn and garden. The house has a flat roof, black-framed windows, and a brick foundation. The sky is partly cloudy.
Front entrance of a modern house with a pathway leading to a gray door, brick and wood exterior, and large windows, under a clear blue sky.
Modern white two-story house with dark gray window frames and a gray garage door, decorative potted plants near the entrance, and a paved driveway in front.
Modern white two-story house with dark gray window frames and a gray garage door, decorative potted plants near the entrance, and a paved driveway in front.

Chesterfield Planning: A Proven Local Track Record

As a practice based in Chesterfield, we know the planning landscape intimately. We have an exceptionally high approval rate with both Chesterfield Borough Council and North East Derbyshire District Council, and we engage early with planning officers to understand their requirements and shape our designs accordingly.

Whether we are designing a sensitive extension in a Conservation Area or a bold contemporary addition in a suburban setting, we know how to prepare applications that succeed.

When needed, we have also won planning appeals: demonstrating to planning committees that our designs represent a genuine architectural enhancement to their local area.

An aerial view of a modern two-story house with a stone exterior, black roof, and multiple white-framed windows. The house features a small covered porch at the front entrance and a paved driveway with a two-car garage. There is a garden area with a wooden fence, trees, and grass in the backyard, along with a neighboring brick building to the left and open green fields surrounding the property.
Modern kitchen with a view of an outdoor patio and garden. The kitchen features white cabinetry, a central island with dark wood accents, and three silver pendant lights. Large glass doors open to a patio with outdoor seating, a table with an umbrella, green grass, and trees.
A modern house with large glass windows and a patio area. The house has a dark gray metal exterior, wooden accents, and a brick chimney. There are potted plants and flowers on the patio, under a partly cloudy sky.

Start with a Conversation

Every great project begins with a conversation. If you are planning an extension, renovation, eco-retrofit, or new build in Chesterfield, we would love to hear your ideas.

  1. Complete our simple online form

  2. Discovery Call:
    We will arrange a complimentary 15-minute call to discuss your vision.

  3. Feasibility & Concept Session:
    A dedicated workshop where we explore the full potential of your property, producing initial sketches and a clear project roadmap.

LET US KNOW ABOUT YOUR PROJECT
A hallway with wood flooring and white walls, featuring built-in cabinets with open and closed wooden and white sections, decorated with a modern flower-shaped mirror on the left wall, leading to a room with a table lamp and closed wooden doors at the end.
Open-concept modern kitchen and dining area with large windows and scenic green landscape outside, featuring a dining table with six chairs, a kitchen island with bar stools, and a living space with a sofa, TV, and shelves.
Modern house with large glass windows and wooden accents on a grassy hill, under a blue sky with some clouds.