Devon Stone Barn Extension

Built into the slope of the land, this traditionally built farm and its outbuildings were dark and disconnected from the landscape.  The original farmhouse is only one room deep and with no real entrance or circulation spaces was cramped and cluttered.  Externally the driveway was too narrow to access the fields beyond and the traditionally built stone barn was in a precarious state of repair.  The project aimed to create more space for family life and to address the issues of access and circulation while improving the outlook from the original house.

Major landscaping works have opened up the drive and created connections from the house to the garden and views of the fields beyond.  This generous new outside space is focussed toward a new entrance at the connection between the original house and the barn.  Clad in timber with a recessed entrance and glazed doors onto a new terrace, this creates an appropriate entrance and lobby into the house.  At the new centre of the accommodation this lobby provides space for getting in and out of outdoor gear, while also connecting the original house to the new accommodation in the converted stone barn.

In the ground floor of the barn a large utility frees up space in the house and a generous store accommodates all the boots, coats and other outdoor gear.  Upstairs the barn loft has become a generous family room, providing much needed additional reception space.  This space is connected via a double height stair well.

The materials reflect the status and nature of the spaces and create a journey from raw to refined.  Exposed stonework and a polished concrete floor tie the downstairs link to the ground, with glazed screens opening the lobby to the new external spaces to the front.  To the rear a solid wall encloses the space and directs movement and views to the rear door and stores.

As you progress through the project you step off the ground onto a timber step.  At this point your view is shifted along the side of the barn to the rear door, and the double height space of the stair is revealed.  A bespoke timber stair reaches down into this space and leads the eye to the higher level, with clerestory panelling and windows and exposed timber ceiling.  As you go up the stair the heavy materials of the ground floor are replaced with light timber and glazing, with windows connecting to the farmhouse and to the fields opposite.  The main loft space at first floor has a timber lined vault hovering over the existing walls, with rooflights creating a light and airy interior.

Externally the materials are tied to the agricultural vernacular, with stock bricks at the base and open timber cladding at first floor.  The traditional stonework of the barn is complemented with a black corrugated roof and eaves detailing.