design
buildability
A personal approach to architectural design and planning
Clear guidance from the beginning
I established Initial Designs in 2013 with a straightforward aim: to make architectural design clearer and more approachable.
I don’t begin with a standard answer and try to make it fit. I start with you, the property and what you want to achieve, then explore the possibilities. Sometimes that means finding a better way to use an existing space. Sometimes it means creating an entirely new layout or introducing a feature that gives the project its character.
With experience across architectural and interior design, I consider the whole picture—how a space will look, how it will feel, how it will function and, importantly, how it can be built.
Because you work directly with me, information is not passed through layers of people. I stay close to the project, the decisions and the details throughout the agreed stages.
Alex Colley
Founder & Design Consultant
Different projects.
The same considered approach.
Over the past 13 years, Initial Designs has worked across period and listed buildings, contemporary homes, offices, restaurants and commercial premises.
Clients have ranged from start-ups taking their first steps into new premises to established organisations including Carlsberg, Strutt & Parker and Digbeth Dining Club.
That variety has shaped a flexible approach: understand the client, the property and the practical constraints first, then develop a design that belongs to the project—not one borrowed from somewhere else.
Support can be tailored around what you need, from exploring an early idea and preparing planning drawings to producing more detailed information for construction.
Supported by trusted specialists
Initial Designs is led by me and supported by a trusted network when a project requires additional expertise, including structural engineers, quantity surveyors, technicians and building regulations support.
Their involvement is coordinated so the process stays joined-up. Specialist work is agreed and priced separately, with responsibility retained by the relevant specialist.
Experience without the layers
2013
98%
≈ 3
Based in Shrewsbury
Initial Designs works with clients across Shropshire and the West Midlands.
Projects further afield are considered by arrangement.