IDSystems Brings Light To Breathaking Barn Conversion
Tucked away down a quiet country lane in the Buckinghamshire countryside, The Granary is the most incredible barn conversion project you are ever likely to see. Originally constructed in the 1950s as a grain store, the steel framed barn saw many uses in its lifetime, but few could have imagined what it would one day turn out to be – an ultra-modern and stunning 5-bedroom family home.
A storied history
Spread out across more than half an acre, The Granary is just one of the agricultural outbuildings that have been converted into homes over the past 20 years. But whilst the others were eye-catching 300 year old timber designs, the steel framed structure of The Granary was very much the ugly duckling of the farm. Over the years the barn was repurposed and re-clad, offering home to Highland cows and Tamworth pigs; a store for farm machinery and even an office and workshop for a construction company, but its latest incarnation is by far the most dramatic.
An unlikely family home
It was Gavin Nash, son of the barn’s owner Richard, who set the wheels in motion for transforming the barn. His GNC Construction company had made use of the barn as a base, with Gavin having grown up playing in the barn as a child on the family farm. In conjunction with architect Paul Blaney at Hawkins Eades Associates they began playing around with ideas about how the barn could be transformed into a stylish home.
The project faced one or two obstacles along the way. “It’s always a long process changing the use of a building from agricultural to residential. Surveys for bats, owls, and nearby highways, for example. There are also restrictions on the sizes of window openings with privacy glass, which are on all east and west windows on the first floor. Boundary fencing also needed to be in keeping with the rural area.” Said Richard Nash.
A unique shape
The off-centre pitched roof of the barn, a throw-back to housing large grain silos on one side of the structure, presented a challenge for the designers – but also presented an opportunity for creativity. With the structure supported by the external steel frame, a triple height central spine of the barn could be created, pulling light throughout the barn thanks to three huge glass-curtain walls designed by IDSystems.
“The strength of the curtain walling was a major factor, as the height of eight metres is impressive for a home. IDSystems came up with the design and functionality.” The result is a glass curtain that seamlessly connects the indoors and outdoors, creating a clean, bright aesthetic.
Creating a family space
On the ground floor at the rear of the property the design called for a large family space including a stunning open-plan kitchen and dining area. The building’s natural surroundings can be enjoyed thanks to a combination of aluminium bifold doors and vistaline slide and turn doors from IDSystems. The open-plan space is also complimented by large aluminium windows, throughout the room, allowing further light to enter the property at all angles. With narrow sightlines of just 45mm, the vistaline slide and turn doors combine the narrow frames of sliding doors but are capable of creating a completely unobstructed opening comparable with bifolds.
The ultimate master bedroom
On the first floor, a galleried landing area leads to the master bedroom en-suite, where a vaulted ceiling and roof lights further enhance this property’s distinctive sense of space. It’s another favourite spot, standing at the threshold of the principal bedroom, looking northeast to the courtyard with the old Victorian granary, one can enjoy a glorious view of the centuries-old woodland outside.
The expansive master bedroom, including en-suite with free-standing roll top bath, spans the width of the building at first floor level, with the remaining space designed to feature four further bedrooms, a family bathroom and a laundry room. www.idsystems.co.uk
Image credit: Chris Taylor Photography