This Grade 2 listed building lay disused and in poor repair for many years, before the current owners ? previously resident in one of the adjoining barns ? acquired it and successfully applied for planning permission to turn it into a new family house. Work to retain and repair the original structure was agreed after lengthy consultation with the local authority?s listed building officer the result being that the vast majority of the original structure has survived. This clearly adds to the character of the finished building. The windows and doors chosen for the large openings are dark grey annodised aluminium. These have been chosen since their slender profiles and dark colour have less impact on the visual appearance of the opening. The smaller windows inserted into the oak cladding are all oak windows. In order to give different spaces for the family to use independently, a full height glass screen has been constructed between the family room and the other wing of the barn. In clear contrast to the old barn all new work is designed in a contemporary manner with simple lines and clear separation of new from old. Internally, crisp contemporary detailing contrasts with the original elements. Natural materials have been used throughout and where historic/ contemporary elements meet, shadow gaps have been introduced to highlight the juxtaposition. The resulting structure combines the needs of contemporary living with the return to functional use of a rapidly deteriorating historic structure. At the heart of the work is this striking juxtaposition between the historic and the contemporary.
