A radical approach was required for this converted barn sited in open countryside. As the previous conversion had been so poor, we decided to demolish the building and using the salvaged stonework, start again with the addition of two new wings and a swimming pool.
A new build meant the standard of construction and insulation would be of the very highest standard and had the added benefit of being zero rated for VAT.
The aim of the design concept was to create a house that sat naturally in the landscape and appear to be a traditional agricultural building.
We had worked on the clients’ London home and they were keen to have our design ideas for their new weekend/holiday house. The brief included a large kitchen/family room, six bedrooms, four bathrooms, playroom, utility room, boot room, gym and changing rooms and an outdoor pool.
The house needed to be very practical in the way it related to the outside and the entrance and boot room were key to the design, allowing their four children and friends to come and go, while leaving the house relatively unscathed by the inevitable mud and muck of the countryside.
The design of the main barn and the decision to create the 9m high single space created exciting architectural drama. The structural elements were green oak with an oak boarded ceiling to give a sense of warmth to the large space and a large contemporary fireplace was also designed in proportion to the space.
Throughout, the pallet of materials used internally was kept simple: Cotswold stone floors, oak floors, beams, doors and ceilings and white painted plasterwork. The energy to run the under-floor heating is created by ground source heat pumps buried in adjacent land.
