Cedar House, Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire
Project: Detached luxury home
Location: Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire
Building area: Approximately 9,500 sq ft across four storeys
Our services: Structural and civil engineering consultants
Project overview
Cedar House is an award-winning seven bedroom bespoke home located within Beaconsfield’s Golden Triangle. Designed to provide exceptional family living, the property includes eight bathrooms, six reception rooms, staff accommodation, a gym, steam room, sauna, games room and an acoustically designed cinema.
Completed in December 2024, the home was recognised at the International Property Awards 2025/26, winning Best Residential Property Buckinghamshire and Best Architecture Single Residence Buckinghamshire.
As the appointed structural engineer, we worked alongside EAB Homes, Ascot Design and the wider project team to deliver the structural and civil engineering design for this highly-end residential property.
Engineering approach
Our role was to develop practical engineering solutions that supported the architectural vision while addressing the technical challenges presented by the site.
The four-storey property incorporates a waterproof reinforced concrete basement beneath approximately two-thirds of the plot, with a traditional build over concrete floors and a room in roof formed using trusses.
Working as the project’s chartered structural engineer, we coordinated closely with the architect and construction team throughout the design process to ensure each structural element could be delivered efficiently without compromising the overall aesthetic.
Alongside our structural role, our civil engineering and drainage design considered basement site drainage requirements and the wider infrastructure strategy.
Site challenges
The constrained nature of the site required careful engineering from the outset.
A neighbouring property close to the proposed basement meant contiguous piled retaining walls were required along one side of the excavation. On the opposite boundary, mature trees and high shrink clay soils necessitated the use of deep trench foundations to mitigate the effects of the soil and tree influence.
A key challenge of this project was the client’s request to remove a column at the intersection between bifold doors to give unobscured garden views. This column supported two primary beams carrying additional beams, precast floor planks, masonry walls and roof trusses.
Removing it required a carefully designed solution that maintained structural integrity under significant loading while avoiding cold bridging as the beam also acted as a lintel over part of its length. The design needed to safely support the structural loads, carefully manage compound deflection and achieve the required floor and lintel levels, all without compromising the architectural vision.
Although retaining the column was initially explored as the most practical engineering solution, the final design coordinated with the architect provided a seamless outcome without compromise to the architecture and the client was ecstatic with the final product.
Project outcomes
Cedar House demonstrates how thoughtful structural engineering can unlock ambitious architectural design.
By combining innovative structural solutions with careful coordination across the project team, we helped deliver a home that balances technical performance with exceptional aesthetics.
The project’s recognition at the International Property Awards 2025/26 reflects the quality of collaboration between all parties involved. We are proud to have contributed as the project’s structural and civil engineer, working alongside EAB Homes, Ascot Design and the client to bring this award-winning home to life.
Our residential structural engineering projects
You can view more of our residential projects here. In the meantime, you can find out more about our chartered structural engineering services here. dbstructural’s chartered structural engineers and civil engineers work with homeowners across Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Hertfordshire and North London.
