Artel31’s latest completed project House Through the Red Gate is a stunning example of blending old and new. Originally two listed Cotswold stone byres, this farmyard conversion now features a fully glazed open-plan kitchen, creating a seamless connection between house and garden.
Like so many Cotswold farmyard conversions, House Through the Red Gate was formed from two listed Cotswold-stone byres. While there can be advantages in subdivision, it meant that portions of the house felt very disconnected, from both each other and the gardens between. Being a listed building the conservation officer was determined to maintain the visual isolation so we negotiated a form that took cues from tin-roofed pole barns, prevalent in many old farmyards. The full glazed walls integrate the courtyard garden into the space, and a new gatehouse was used as the front door to ensure privacy despite the openness of the space created.
Boreholes were added to the courtyard to facilitate a GSHP, with an outbuilding housing the PV cells, batteries and car chargers. An LVL roof was used to create the thin cantilevered shading to the glazing, ensuring contemporary and sustainable solutions without negatively impacting the listed heritage asset.
The key challenge was the heritage value of the existing structures. These needed to be afforded substantial weight in the design process to ensure a balanced end product that counterpointed rather than dominated the barns. We also wanted to ensure a full raft of renewables were integrated into the scheme by hiding them on outbuildings or underground.
Key products used:
Metsa Wood - Kerto LVL panels,
Sky Garden - Extensive green roof
Ideal Combi - Windows (barns)
Ultraline - Windows/Sliding Door (Extension)
Energy Zone - Renewables/EV etc
Sustainability features:
Solar Shading
Green Roof
GSHP
Photovoltaics
EV Charging
Home Batteries
Biodiverse Landscaping
Reused Materials
Softwood Timber Structure
