Public evidence profile

Niche Design Architects

ArchitectHarrogate5.016 reviews · 1 independent public source
Planning history
1 public planning application
Credentials & registries
2 credentials shown
Awards & recognition
1 independent award

Evidence summary

This RIBA-chartered practice provides a full architectural service to developers, domestic and commercial customers across Yorkshire. Founded by Chris and Cathy Hunt, they have been in continuous operation for 10 years.

They are known for their exceptional design, expert technical drawing, and knowledge of Planning issues and Building Regulations. The team offers an initial online consultation with no obligation.

From public sources, July 2026

Trust Score
48out of 100
Building a public record
  • Rated 5.0 from 16 reviews
  • 2 credentials shown

Worth checking: Architects Register

How this score is worked out
Rating5.0 / 5
Review volumeLow · 16
Independent sources1 independent public source
Credentials2 credentials shown

How this score is made up

What customers say27.8 of 60
Independent checks13.9 of 30
Track record6.3 of 10
See the independent checks
  • Licences and credentials4.5 of 10.3
  • Ways to reach them3.4 of 3.4
  • Reviewed on more than one site0 of 5.1
  • Registered company details5.1 of 5.1
  • Photos of their work0 of 4.3
  • Industry recognition0.9 of 1.7
Verified planning history

Missing evidence lowers the score because we can't check it. It doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Claiming a profile never changes the score. Evidence context, not a guarantee of workmanship.

Contact on Houzz (opens in new tab)
Builder
Trust at a glance

What we can verify about Niche Design Architects

4 checks

Each card sums up one thing we can check from public sources. Open it for the full detail and the named source. This is evidence context, not a guarantee.

Planning history1 public planning applicationSee detail →Credentials & registries2 credentials shownSee detail →Awards & recognition1 independent awardSee detail →Companies HouseActive incorporated businessSee detail →
See the full verification checklist for Niche Design Architects →

Planning history

Niche Design Architects’s real planning history from public planning applications, showing where they’ve worked and how often schemes were approved. · Active in 2025

planning applications1
approved schemes1
councils worked in1

What they work on

The kinds of project Niche Design Architects has filed planning applications for.

  • Loft conversion1
  • Side extension1
  • Extension1
  • Balcony / roof terrace1
  • Demolition1

Where they’ve worked

Each pin is a planning application, coloured by the council decision we found.

Council experience

Recent planning applications

  • Approved9 Hollingwood Rise Ilkley West Yorkshire LS29 9PWDemolition of car port and construction of single storey store with infill extension to connect to house. First floor side extension. Replacement of UPVC cladding with fibre cement cladding. Refurbishment of front and rear dormer windows. Replacement balustrade to ground floor balcony. Infill garage door opening with sliding doors.Bradford · 2025 · LS29 9PW

See planning applications in LS29

Credentials and checks

Credentials, licences and vetting

Credentials and associations

Credentials and memberships

2

These credentials and memberships are attributed to named public sources. Check the source before relying on them.

Independent recognition

Awards & recognition

5× Best of Houzz winner (2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016)

Best of Houzz is an annual award from the home-renovation platform Houzz, given to the professionals its community rates most highly for design or customer service.

View award source (opens in new tab)

These are independent third-party awards: recognition earned from review communities and trade bodies, never paid placement.

Companies House registration

Active incorporated business

Active

Niche Design Architects is linked to a Companies House entry. This shows the business registration, not evidence of workmanship or service quality.

Legal nameNiche Design Architects
Company number07355211
Incorporated
Registered activityArchitectural activities
Official checkOn the public register

Why this helps you judge trust: this trader is linked to a registered company with named people who are legally accountable for it, on an official register anyone can check, a layer of accountability an unregistered trader doesn't offer. Around 16 years on the register also points to an established business rather than a brand-new one.

Source-listed gallery

Photos listed on Houzz

1 photo

These sources do not label every image as completed work. The gallery may include projects, people, logos or certificates, so it does not count as completed-work evidence.

Reviews · public evidence

What customers say

These review totals are published independently on the named public source below, not testimonials this business chose to show. We show the aggregate rating, review volume, and source attribution we hold so you can weigh the evidence yourself.

5.0out of 5
16 reviews in public evidence
Where these reviews are published
  • Houzz16 reviews · 5.0 avg
Local context

Rated 5.0, above the local average for architects in Harrogate

Across 5 architects in Harrogate, the typical rating is 4.7 out of 5. We compare against the same businesses a homeowner would find searching for this trade locally.

Sources

Where this information comes from

4 named public sources

Everything on this page is drawn from named public sources. Where a source provides a public link, you can open the original and dig deeper.

Review sources

Registers and membership directories

Business and public registers

Check dates vary by source. Where we hold a date, the check shows it.

About

Niche Design Architects gives developers, domestic and commercial customers across Yorkshire a full and high quality architectural service with a personal touch. The RIBA-chartered practice, in Burley-in-Wharfedale, near Ilkley, was founded five years ago by talented and experienced architects, Chris and Cathy Hunt. They attract wide praise and recommendation for their skill in bringing ambitious projects to fruition. They are known for: *exceptional design *expert technical drawing *knowledge of Planning issues and Building Regulations *their friendly approach Niche Design’s wide-ranging portfolio spans Leeds, Bradford, Skipton, Harrogate, Ilkley, Otley, Keighley, Wetherby, the Yorkshire Dales and beyond.

Services they list

Architectural DesignArchitectural DrawingsBasement ConversionBasement DesignBuilding ConservationBuilding DesignCustom Build HomesEco HomesFloor PlansHome RenovationHouse ExtensionsHouse Plans

Listed on public sources or the business's own website; check directly that they cover your job before you book.

What this business says about itself
From their own website

What this business says about itself

See their work: Houzz (opens in new tab) · Instagram (opens in new tab) · Facebook (opens in new tab)

Accreditations it displays. Confirm each is current on the official register before you hire:

These are statements the business makes on its own website, worth confirming in writing (and on the official registers) before you hire, not independently verified by us.

Independent checks

About this business

How long they've really been tradingIndependent sources agree they've been operating since at least 2010. That's 16 years, confirmed across 2 separate sources.
Company registered2010Website online since2010Award-winning since2016
A real, registered businessWe cross-checked Companies House: this business is officially registered for work that matches the architect services it advertises - independent confirmation it's a genuine business set up to do this kind of work, not just a directory entry.
Your own checks

What to check before you hire

Worth checking yourself
Only a few public reviews are shown. Ask for recent references you can contact.
Their public evidence comes from a single source. Look them up on another site before deciding.
Verify at the sourceCheck them yourself

"Architect" is a title protected by law - only people on the official Architects Register (held by ARB) may use it. Confirm they're on it before you commission a design.

Check the Architects Register
Only someone on the Architects Registration Board (ARB) register may legally call themselves an 'architect' in the UK. Ask for their ARB number and check it free at arb.org.uk. An 'architectural designer' or 'technologist' is a different, unregistered role (often capable, but not the same protection).
Agree how they charge before any work starts (a percentage of the build cost, a fixed fee, or an hourly rate) and exactly which stages it covers (concept design, planning application, building-regulations drawings, work on site), so there are no surprises later.
Confirm what they will actually handle versus what is excluded (the planning application, the building-control drawings, and whether they will administer the builder's contract on site), and get it, and a portfolio of similar projects, in writing.

Want an extra legitimacy check? Run the Cowboy Checker on Niche Design Architects before you contact them.

Run Cowboy Checker →
Good to know

Common questions about Niche Design Architects

Is Niche Design Architects a legitimate business?

Niche Design Architects has 16 independent public reviews, rated 5 out of 5. It is a registered business on Companies House, listed as active, and the public register shows no adverse status (no dissolution, insolvency or strike-off) against it. This is independent public evidence gathered from named public sources (no ads, no paid placement), not a guarantee of workmanship. If anything here is out of date, the business can request a correction.

What do customers say about Niche Design Architects?

Niche Design Architects has 16 public reviews, averaging 5 out of 5. The reviews section shows the aggregate rating, review volume, and review source information we hold.

How do I know Niche Design Architects' reviews are genuine?

Niche Design Architects' 16 public reviews come from a named public review source. MyTrustedTraders brings this public evidence together with no ads and no paid placement: we show the review source information and aggregate rating we hold rather than selling rankings, so you can weigh the evidence for yourself.

Is Niche Design Architects qualified and accredited?

We hold 2 independently sourced credentials for Niche Design Architects, including ARB, RIBA. Each is attributed to the body that issued it in the credentials section. For example, RIBA is the Royal Institute of British Architects, the chartered professional body for architects.

Has Niche Design Architects won any awards?

Niche Design Architects holds 1 independent award, including 5× Best of Houzz winner (2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016). These are third-party awards: recognition that has to be won, not self-issued.

Is Niche Design Architects a registered business?

Niche Design Architects is a registered business on Companies House (company number 07355211), incorporated 24 Aug 2010, listed as active. This confirms the legal registration of the business, not evidence of workmanship or service quality.

What does Niche Design Architects specialise in?

Niche Design Architects lists specialist services including Architectural Design, Architectural Drawings, Basement Conversion, Basement Design, Building Conservation, Building Design. If your job is one of these, look for it in their listed services or ask them to confirm for your project.

When was Niche Design Architects' website registered?

Niche Design Architects' website has been online since 2010, according to the public domain registry. This dates the website, not necessarily when the business began trading.

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