Our clients tasked us with converting and extending a narrow section of their barn into a granny annex or guest house, with the aim of celebrating both the stunning views and the building’s industrial farming heritage. The barn’s narrow width posed a unique challenge, particularly in trying to create functional and fluid spaces. A traditional corridor layout simply wasn’t feasible, so we turned our attention to the idea that a home should not just contain spaces but also blend the experience of inside and outside, fostering a deeper physical connection to nature and the landscape.

We responded with a subtle glass and timber box extension for the living areas, carefully designed to frame the views and blur the boundaries between the interior and the exterior. An open-air pergola connects the bedrooms to the living spaces, creating a direct engagement with the outdoors that is characteristic of country living. This approach is not only visually striking but also beneficial for wellness, as it encourages physical interaction with the ever-changing natural environment - ideal for enhancing both health and wellbeing.

Because the project focuses on the threshold between inside and outside, we have designed these transition spaces with great care. By playing with contrasting materials - blending contemporary elements like glass and timber with the historic fabric of the barn - we’ve crafted a new annex that is deeply rooted in its surroundings, encouraging a continuous flow between the natural world and the home itself. Our clients tasked us with converting and extending a narrow section of their barn into a granny annex or guest house, with the aim of celebrating both the stunning views and the building’s industrial farming heritage. The barn’s narrow width posed a unique challenge, particularly in trying to create functional and fluid spaces. A traditional corridor layout simply wasn’t feasible, so we turned our attention to the idea that a home should not just contain spaces but also blend the experience of inside and outside, fostering a deeper physical connection to nature and the landscape.