SENSITIVE CONVERSION OF A HERITAGE ASSET
Working with the owners of The Granary, Studio BAD have carefully and thoughtfully designed a scheme which converts and infills an existing open carport space on the ground floor aspect of the building. The design will provide an additional bedroom and extend the living accommodation, to ensure the long-term future of the building for the young owners.
The unique property is part of a late 18th century agricultural homestead model farm, designed by the renowned architect Samuel Wyatt. Although The Granary isn’t listed independently it sits within a curtilage of a listed building, and is of heritage interest due to it being well-preserved example of common agricultural architecture from the period.
Whilst the property had been converted into a two-bedroom residential home in the late 1990’s, the current owners wanted to further amend the building to extend the ground floor living space by carefully infilling two of the open bays. This would also allow the first floor to be converted into the private part of the home, with the living space reimagined as an additional bedroom / work space. The layout of the first floor is designed to carefully follow the historic layout, from the third bedroom reflecting the position of the original grain bin to reinforcing the heritage of the building.
An emphasis has been placed on retaining the character of the ancillary buildings which were considered essential, both in terms of individual value and the setting of the listed building. On the exterior to highlight the infill as a modern change, this portion will be finished with frameless, contemporary glazing recessed slightly from the exterior so the change can be easily read and the visual impact on the heritage aspect is kept to a minimum.
Other changes have been carefully considered included a horizontal high level slot window introduced to the south elevation, in line with the first-floor window placement at height to reduce privacy concerns whilst still adding much needed natural light and ventilation to the property. The glazing will be replaced throughout, in like for like timber frames but upgrading the single pane with double glazing.
Additionally, the internal staircase will be replaced to free up precious internal space. As the existing staircase was a modern addition the removal and replacement were approved as this change did not impact the heritage of the structure. Likewise, introducing a new roof light and French doors into the small side extension was easily approved as this was not an original part of the property, the additional glazing adds a clear connection to the garden and will enhance the natural light within the property.
Due onsite 2025.