AWARD WINNING & SUSTAINABLE FARMHOUSE IN BERWICKSHIRE

A new home for a modern farming family who relocated for better quality land that was compromised by a barely habitable farmhouse. The brief was to provide an extended house that was large enough to accommodate gatherings of up to three family generations and flexible enough to serve as private home and place of business. The clients recognised the need to transform the setting while retaining the unique character of the place.  The traditional farmhouse layout was reconsidered to respond to overlapping functions of family and farm and the layout set out a hierarchy of working, living and sleeping functions that could be flowed through but shut off from view when necessary. Utilitarian boot and utility rooms could be passed through directly from the steading on the way to living spaces, but kept out of sight from visitors at times of gathering. Private bedroom spaces provided within the modest volume of the existing farmhouse were given a more intimate scale and kept away from the working steading and public gatherings in the main living spaces. An open plan flow of living spaces around a back to back central living hearth/ kitchen stove allowed the plan to be freed from corridors. The resulting 360 degree flow of spaces provides varied internal volumes each with their own distinctive character, orientation and view. A long lasting building was designed to utilise reclaimed materials from the demolished courtyard elements and this reduced the carbon impact of transporting heavy construction materials and minimised construction waste. Follow this link to another example of a farmhouse project that we are currently working on.