Waind Gohil & Potter Architects has sensitively extended and refurbished a nineteenth-century former agricultural building
Historically part of a small holding mentioned in the Domesday Book, Old Barn was established as C3 residential from B1 office use via the Prior Notification Process, and a ‘light’ conversion was followed by an extension to comply with the General Permitted Development Order (GPDO). Frequently interpreted as a ‘loop hole’, and associated with scare stories, the constraints of the GPDO were applied to Waind Gohil & Potter Architects’ design and understood as opportunity to develop a close yet distinct relationship between the original barn and intersecting extension, with a reinterpretation of form, materiality and fenestration.
A double-height living space with views across the gardens is located at the intersection of the original barn and new steel-framed extension. The bedrooms, study and playroom are accommodated in the extension, while the kitchen, boot and spare room, with gallery to the living space, are housed in the barn.
Ground- and first-floor plans
Design decisions from the early stages emphasised re-use and preservation. Where possible, materials from the existing dwelling have been saved, set-aside and re-used. The original oak columns have been cut down, planed and squared into slats to form a ceiling finish, as well as made into doors. Externally, a number of long hedgerows were re-used from a site clearance elsewhere and introduced into the landscape design.
The existing building fabric suffered significant heat loss and air permeability problems. Despite its classification as an existing house, all the building’s thermal elements were upgraded and designed to exceed the thermal performance requirements of new dwellings. An air source heat pump provides renewable energy, and the dwelling is eligible for the domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme. 500mm thick rubble walls provide thermal mass for consistent internal temperatures. In summer, automatic opening windows within the double-height living room allow rising hot air to be vented and fresh air circulated.
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