Many years ago, a fire destroyed all but the brick masonry walls of the historic farm house. The roof is missing, all timber elements are burnt or heavily charred. The building has been decaying since, whilst nature is reclaiming the generous grounds around the building.  

 

Despite the apparent damage to this heritage asset, the conservation team required the retention and reinstating of the farm house, which is a locally Listed Building. To shoulder the cost of the refurbishment, it was agreed to provide a further dwelling house to the rear of the site, acting as enabling development.  

 

The farmhouse itself would be freed of the shackles of the unshapely and disproportionate ground floor additions to the original building. A new, classic modern side extension would redirect the internal viewpoints towards the private garden to the front and side, close to the farmhouse.  

 

The barnhouse would be set over two floors, an elongated building which kinks at one end. The materiality draws references to the farm house, facing brick, timber windows and slated roof, and adds timber facade in a nod to traditional barns.  

 

The facade consists of fixed cladding and mobile timber screens, which create an ever changing appearance of this building, revealing or concealing facing brick or windows. The positioning of the new building away from the dense boundary vegetation allows great levels of privacy and outlook into nature. The carefully arranged glazed elements connect to the surrounding nature and allow high levels of daylight and sunlight on all rooms and on all floors.