How I came to design HMOs
[2 Min Read ]
You might be wondering how we came to design HMO’s as you might think architectural HMO’s aren’t very exciting compared to other types of architecture work. So here goes…
Before setting up Portfolio Architects, I (Emma) have always worked on residential projects and loved designing homes for people that they love to live in, maximise the potential of the property and are also functional and practical. I strongly believe homes shouldn’t just be beautiful but they should be functional, practical and easy to live in - in equal measure. I have always loved optimising and re-designing floor plans and loved the challenge.
So winding back a quite few years now to 2017 when I quit my Architect job to start Portfolio Architects (formerly Pedersen Smith Architects), I also embarked on my own first investment project which was a 5 bed HMO in Reading (see photos below) which I converted from a derelict terrace house into a scandi designed HMO. I had always planned to go into property development and not ‘just’ be an Architect but leverage my own skills and experience as an Architect further.
2017 - My first own HMO
The Instagram Effect
When I first started Portfolio Architects, the majority of our projects were homeowner projects which over the last 7 years this has organically evolved to exclusively working with design led property investors. So how did this happen?
Short Version: Instagram happened
Long Version: Back in 2016 / 2017, I had started my own instagram account @emmaspropertydiaries (formerly known as @pedersensmith) for my own property projects and started sharing the design and renovation of this HMO conversion. Unintentionally and naturally, other HMO and property investors started getting in touch as they wanted us to design their HMOs for them.
The rest is history… it organically snowballed from there to today where we no longer work with homeowners but solely focus on projects for design led property investors.
We have now designed hundreds of HMO across the UK
What I love about designing HMO’s
What you might not know about me (Emma), is that I am a self confessed floor plan geek and absolutely love solving spatial problems taking often derelict and unmodernised properties and re-designing the layout to maximise the potential of the property and create homes people love to live in, both in equal measure.
HMO’s are very floor space intensive, layouts need to work very hard to accommodate different tenants, bedrooms need to be designed to feel spacious but also practical with enough storage space. Whilst communal areas need to both look and feel great cleverly utilising every inch of space but also having clear zones so multiple people can be in the communal areas at the same time. It is safe to say there is alot that factors into a great hmo design and this creates a great spatial challenge that I love to solve.
Unlike homeowners who perhaps will do 1 or 2 home renovations in their lifetime, working with property investors who are regularly buying new projects gives us the opportunity to really get to know our repeat clients. Often forming part of their power team and helping them build out a high quality, design led portfolio that consistently performs well in the long term by leveraging good design.
We are proud that over 75% of our work is for repeat clients or from previous client referrals with some investors on their 2nd, 3rd, 4th and even 7th project with us. Remarkably still to this day we don’t do any paid advertising.