THE BARN REBORN

By keeping the best of its rural heritage and adding a coolly modern interior, this ancient barn has been turned into a dramatically different home

- Catherine Coyle

In a world where we’re consciously making efforts to preserve and protect, architects are faced with new challenges in their practice. Do they build from scratch or look to adapt what’s already there? What are the long-term benefits of repairing existing structures? How can they meet the client’s brief and still have minimal impact on the planet?

For Murray Kerr and Rebecca Woodward at Denizen Works, such questions weren’t just theoretical. Their clients owned several old agricultural buildings that were ripe for conversion. They were clustered together, forming a sheltered courtyard, high on a hill on a stretch of beautiful countryside. The couple lived in one of the buildings, and wanted Denizen to tackle the large semi-derelict barn next door.

The clients were ambitious. They had been very impressed by one of Denizen’s projects on the island of Tiree. House No 7, as it’s known, seems to embody all the elements that have given the practice its reputation for progressiveness and edginess. Kerr and Woodward’s commitment to designs that reference and respect their location and history, while at the same time feeling contemporary, stylish and special, greatly appealed to them.

The architects’ concern was how to make something exciting and unexpected yet still fit for purpose from these traditional farm structures. “The clients came to us with a knowledge of our work and an admiration of our approach to materials,” recalls Kerr. “They asked us to renovate their empty barn and turn it into habitable accommodation. They wanted the emphasis to be largely on the interior, with minimal alterations made to the outside, but with a connection between inside and out.”