A future home within a historic fabric
Barn Cottage, 2024
Futureproofing a heritage property through sensitive retrofitting principles
A brick and flint barn was repurposed for residential use in the mid 20th Century. Residence have tackled issues of damp and poor thermal performance to provide a family home that retains its character but is fit for contemporary use.
Conservation and growth
Sited within a quiet Hampshire conservation area the cottage began life as a small barn, later being converted into a small family home. The historic context required a conservationist approach to development whilst improving thermal performance and floor area. Original walls have been retained where possible and features remain exposed internally, whilst a warming blanket of insulation encloses and protects the existing structure.
A new two-storey side extension expands on the internal accommodation and draws upon the context by utilising a clay hanging tile to define the new geometry. The use of a handmade clay tile provides tactility and warmth which is a consistent feature of the heritage buildings in this part of Hampshire.
The generous garden has been linked to the house through delicately located openings and a revised garden layout. The landscape design applies established principles of the ‘cottage garden’ with an acute awareness of needs for biodiversity and evolving requirements for drought tolerance.
Making the most of a tight plan
The existing cottage occupied a tight footprint, our client loved the character and location but wanted to add space for a growing family. Residence assessed the potential for expansion alongside tackling the inefficient use of floor area in the existing house. Through careful application of planning policy and engagement with the local authority Residence have added a modest extension to provide further accommodation which allows the existing space to be ‘unlocked’ from its tight constraints.
Clever storage solutions and bespoke joinery, such as a winding cottage staircase, maximises the living area and provides special moments of transition between the intimate spaces of the house.
Materiality
The existing house had a distinctive quarry tile floor obscured beneath layers of later decoration and refurbishment. The uncovered tiles formed the backbone of a material approach which leans on natural textures and finishes.
Lime plaster has been used to coat the internal walls and quarry tile retained in rooms to provide a link to the past. The small scale of these tiles work to make the tight spaces feel as expansive as possible. Timber has been used to define the new elements at ground floor level providing tactility and warmth to the dining and entrance areas.
Upstairs timber floors and lime plaster provide a quiet elegance to bedrooms which now utilise the attic spaces to provide volume and drama.
