← Dutch Barn← Dutch Barn

Located in an area of outstanding natural beauty, this barn conversion transforms a utilitarian agricultural structure into a modern & spacious holiday home. The design celebrates the pure form and industrial qualities of the existing kit structure with an architectural intervention based on simplicity and minimalism that is carried through from the scale of the overall site, to the very smallest details.

"To have Turner Works on this project and help make the dream a reality was a no-brainer"- David Johnston.

The external envelope of the barn has been wrapped in corrugated steel that lends a rhythm and texture to its 23 metre long elevations and curved roof. This new profiled steel cladding, in matt black, unifies the façade and roof, simplifying the overall volume, and reducing the appearance of the barn to its purest form when seen from a distance.

Façade openings have been positioned and sized to respond to the barn’s new use as a living space, giving the overall building a human scale. Where original openings accommodated large agricultural vehicles, they now carefully frame views across the rolling hills and countryside.

Inside, the accommodation is arranged over two floors. At ground floor, the layout creates a large open plan space zoned into a sequence of areas for playing, cooking, dining and living. A double height living space, featuring an upper floor balcony, forms a moment of spatial generosity at the South end of the home, its verticality emphasised by a chimney and two-storey glazing. There are seven bedrooms in total, six of which are located upstairs to make the most of elevated views across the scenic surroundings.

The design utilises a reduced palette of industrial and self-finished materials. White walls and sliding doors form a calming backdrop throughout the property, complimented by elements in Douglas Fir, concrete, ceramics and stainless steel. Douglas Fir was chosen for its warmth and rich grain, and has been used for flooring, stairs, handrails and bespoke furniture elements. Soft grey wool curtains with a metallic solar reflective backing illustrate and further explore the balance between industrial and homely qualities within the property. 200sqm of scaffold board decking wraps the base of the building, connecting the interior with the surrounding fields and encouraging activity to spill outdoors.

The Barn provides a calming and flexible living space, designed to be equally suitable for hosting families, business workshops and wellbeing retreats. Bookings are now available at DUT18.

David Johnston said; “The project started as a text from my wife Laura – a joke in fact – with a link to a field for sale. After attending The DO Lectures in West Wales, I was inspired to create a similar space where creatives and pioneers could get away from it all – refresh, rethink, rewire – in order to tackle the huge problems, we face as a society.

Laura and I live in London, conjuring up DUT18 to give us what we don’t get in the city. As a family, it’s an amazing place to go and spend time together, share experiences and explain to the kids our place in nature; what we need to ensure we protect. As the leader of a studio it’s a great place for the team to connect and talk about our plans for the future.

To have Turner Works on this project and help make the dream a reality was a no-brainer. I have long admired their work and after working with Carl Turner in 2013, he’s since become a good friend, working on my house and now this. The site brought its challenges with strict building restrictions dictated by local planning laws, yet the result forms a sensitively executed set of interventions on the landscape that maximise the opportunities within their tight restrictions".