THE HAVEN

Barn Conversion

Planning permission granted - currently detailing

The Haven is a part barn conversion - inserting a new dwelling into part of an equestrian barn in Oxfordshire. The house will provide a long term home linked to the client’s equestrian and leadership business. The original barn is a typical, large, modern steel framed barn - complete with corrugated cement cladding. The barn, although used as an indoor arena, has an agricultural style appearance.

The proposal does not change the building's overall form or size, affecting only a quarter of it. The conversion utilises the under-used barn, which is too big for the business. Our scheme improves the visual impact of the barn whilst maintaining an agricultural aesthetic, avoiding domestic details while maintaining the horizontal cladding split and wall setbacks. The existing barn's material palette is preserved, with the south gable's corrugated steel cladding extending to the west elevation, replacing polycarbonate sheets. Insulated wall plywood boards will be swapped for vertical cladding, still set back from the upper cladding.

The new construction will be lightweight, a timber frame combining a fabric-first approach with natural materials with low embodied energy. Blown wood-fibre/cellulose insulation will provide passivhaus levels of insulation and airtightness.

The new home will provide a unique housing contribution to area without increasing the number of buildings, and is just steps away from the client’s beloved horses.