Barn Conversion, West Kent
Barn Conversion, West Kent
Barn Conversion, West Kent
Barn Conversion, West Kent
Barn Conversion, West Kent
Barn Conversion, West Kent
Barn Conversion, West Kent
Barn Conversion, West Kent
Barn Conversion, West Kent
Client Brief
Our client came to us with planning consent to convert a barn on the land that he owned adjacent to his home, having shrewdly purchased the farmyard some years earlier.
Set in beautiful surroundings, the client asked us to build a high-quality single storey, three-bedroom, three-bathroom house which he planned to move into. He wanted a home that was not only practical but also made the most of its stunning rural, waterfront location.
Large windows allow light to flood in and give wonderful views of both the surrounding woodlands and countryside, but also the nearby water too.
The Project
We worked with the client to create a lovely home, with an exterior in keeping with the building’s agricultural character – an important consideration when converting barns. The external wall finishes are cedar and zinc on a blue brick plinth, with a zinc roof. The windows and doors are grey painted aluminium.
Internally, there is a light and spacious open plan living, dining and kitchen area. The client was keen to see some of the original barn structure, so we were able to keep the original concrete portal frames on display by adding insulation to the exterior rather than interior of the frame.
The windows and doors were subject to a lengthy 22-week timeframe from order to delivery. This effectively added about 6 weeks to the contract period. It is often possible to order windows and doors from plan, however, in this instance, the precise opening sizes were uncertain until the openings were formed. Also, the aluminium windows, screens and doors were an expensive specialist item that required the careful measurements of the actual openings prior to order and fabrication.
Keeping the steel frames in place, and effectively building a new house around them created an additional challenge and careful support was required.
The client was fully aware of the complexities of the project, which is why they approached us in the first place. They were, therefore, understanding when such challenges arose; it was our job to resolve them, which we did with no detrimental impact on the build.
Outcome
This is a beautiful home that blends perfectly into its rural setting and makes the most of the amazing views.