Converting a barn or restoring a listed building can be a rewarding way to create a characterful and sustainable home. This guide brings together practical advice and inspiration to help you navigate planning, heritage and technical considerations with greater confidence.
What is a Listed Building?
A property may be listed if it has culturally or historically significant architectural features. Historic England have applied this system to residential dwellings, commercial and educational buildings. Listings are divided into three levels; Grade I, II and II*.
- Grade II* listing is for buildings that are more important, and beyond special interest.
- Grade I are buildings of exceptional interest
- Grade II are similarly of special interest, and they require active preservation efforts.
Character & Location for Barn Conversions
Repurposing old buildings is an appealing alternative to new build. Usually located in rural or semi-rural areas, these existing structures frequently offer peaceful, countryside settings and potential for great views. Not only this, an adaptive reuse of listed buildings ensures the richness of architectural heritage and cultural sustainability is preserved. By retaining the original features, such as stone and brick masonry or timber beams, charming and unique designs can be achieved.
A listed building refurbishment will require respectful treatment of the history of a site. To allow for a modern style of living, a sympathetic approach to design needs to be taken when combining contemporary and historic architecture through an interior fit out or complete conversion.
Future Proofing Barns Through Conservation
An adaptive reuse of old buildings can make a significant impact on the sustainability of a project. Recycled materials, whether structural or decorative, will reduce the need for virgin materials, reducing the carbon impact of the retrofit.
The most sustainable buildings are timeless. Historic and listed properties possess a unique beauty and character, which motivate us to repair and cherish them through conservation architecture. Instead of demolishing and starting afresh, generating a mass of carbon emissions and waste. Minimising the environmental costs of a development is critical in the present climate.
We decarbonise heritage properties through a fabric first approach. Upgrading insulation and increasing thermal performance is a simple but highly effective way to reduce energy consumption. This low-tech approach ensures that our conversions are easy to use, have low running costs, are simple to maintain, and are healthy environments to live in. Future proofing your home and achieving long-term sustainability.
Getting Listed Building Consent, First Time
We’re adept at using the latest laser scan and VR technologies to document the condition of the existing and to better visualise the outcome of a restoration or conversion project. Putting these technologies into practice allows us to demonstrate our sensitivity to the existing heritage listed buildings and their context.
With our trusted professional connections and close relationship with local conservation officers. We can achieve listed building consent, first time around.
Is Re-use Cost Effective?
Reusing old buildings can be considered an advantageous investment. Whilst there are extra costs associated with the stripping back and repair of the existing, celebrating these original features will attract buyers in the future. A skillfully restored and designed barn conversion can increase the value of your property significantly.
Our conservation architects are also able to apply the EnerPHit method to raise your building performances to Passivhaus standards. Introducing renewable energy strategies, mechanical ventilation, and triple glazing to increase efficiency, while reducing running costs. Our project Drellingore Barn Conversion will be using EnerPHit standards to increase this historic barn conversions energy efficiency.
If you’re considering undertaking a barn conversion project or listed building renovation we’d love to talk about how we can help you maximise its potential.
How Can I Get More Light In An Existing Listed Building?
The reuse of an existing building such as an old farm building for a barn conversion or interior fit-out can create great opportunities for open plan living. Tall ceilings lend themselves to double height living rooms and first floor mezzanines. Two striking interior design features for an adaptive reuse of tricky existing interior spaces.
An open plan layout can also be beneficial for access to natural light, as many historic buildings such as barns have a small number of large openings for windows. The use of galleried landings and mezzanines can easily allow the transfer of natural daylight from one space to another. Transforming old farm buildings into a modern barn conversion, like our farmhouse refurbishment: New Forest Farmhouse, can bring opportunity for exciting design ideas.
Materials of Listed Buildings and Barns
How to Convert and Restore Historic Buildings
The initial conservation of historic buildings may require repair, restoration or replacement of structural and non-structural elements. Depending on your site context and existing building, a careful choice of materials will be required to highlight character features. We can guide you through a holistic approach to design, by respecting the local vernacular and marrying old and new materials. Through design, we tell a story of the building and its past whilst helping to make your dream barn conversion a reality.
In our New Forest Farmhouse project we opted to use traditional materials in a contemporary way. Using appropriate restoration techniques to maintain the existing and combine it with a new modern expansion.
Creating a Distinctive Home While Respecting Its Character
