House 837

Project – House 837

Location – Sutton Scotney

Scope of Works – Conversion + Renovation

Once a part of a working arable and dairy farm, this concrete block structure has since been retired from agricultural use and is now being given a new lease of life. House 837 sees this structure that is characterised by its large openings and split-level butterfly roof, converted into an assisted living annexe for the client’s disabled daughter. The two parts that make up this building, the smaller bull pen and the larger tractor shed, are joined into one and internally insulated to make the space habitable. As such, a new open plan kitchen-diner-living space is created, with an additional space designated for occupational therapy that can be closed off from this open plan space if needed. The spaces enjoy views over the fields to the east and into the outdoor pen to the front of the bull pen that is dressed with herb garden planters and a small fountain, creating a private sensory garden.

Whilst the focus of the works is internal, the externals are adapted in small ways which allows the structure to be visually elevated whilst remaining in character with the rest of the buildings on site. Dark frame windows and doors accent the concrete block exterior and tie into the new roofing material to create an overall visual cohesion whilst retaining a simple material palette. Solar panels are added to the new roofs to supply the annexe with a sustainable energy source and the vegetation adorning the flanks of the building is left as untouched as possible, allowing the building to remain settled in its environment. Other small adaptations include echoing the red brick motif provided by the piers to the front of the bull pen to the head of the door that now sits between them, as well as re-using the original metal doors in a more decorative fashion, celebrating what the structure was whilst making accommodations for it to become something new. As Hampshire-based architects, we’ve worked on a good amount of ex. agricultural buildings and they always make for interesting projects, this one is certainly no different!