Stone love

Bringing a dilapidated barn back to life using sympathetic materials proved a winning move for

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A dilapidated barn in the grounds of John and Cat Frankitti's home in Fife had long beckoned to be updated.

The 18th-century stone building, where cattle drovers once rested, had no floor and cold stone walls, but the couple could see its potential, and they were desperate to bring it back to life before the elements destroyed it.

'Also, as we age and become “crumbles”, living in an old farmhouse with upstairs bedrooms and a downstairs bathroom becomes less appealing,' says John. 'So we realised that it was time to make a decision: we either had to move to a new property altogether or finally undertake the project we had often talked about and turn the barn into an eco-friendly, low-maintenance, single-storey home with easy access and lovely, relaxing views.'

Although the couple had someone working on plans for the build, things were moving very slowly until they attended a homebuilding show in Edinburgh. 'Persuaded by Cat, I reluctantly agreed to visit the Oakwrights stand and after engaging with project manager Iain Hendry, we soon had a potential solution to our problem brief.'

The new plan would allow them to retain as much of the original building as possible - not the easiest of tasks given that the proposed oak frame would have to be dropped into the existing walls. 'We also wanted an extension with as much glass as possible to overlook our neighbouring golf course - a combination of timber and glass was the answer as we knew this would blend comfortably with the old,' says Cat.

PLANNING APPROVED

In drawing up the plans, Andrew Hunter of Thomson Hunter Associates - Oakwrights' regional architects in Scotland - recognised the unique nature of the project. 'Being a historical building, it was important to retain as much of its original character as possible, while fitting the brief and making it suitable for use as a modern home,' he says.