The practice has completed the first phase of retrofitting a traditional farmhouse in Norfolk with the addition of a contemporary zinc roof. Set within a 340ha arable estate, the traditional flint farmhouse has an H-shaped plan with a stable block to the north, facing a swimming pool. The initial brief, aimed at levelling the stables for wheelchair access for the client’s father, expanded into a broader reorganisation of the main building, incorporating three new extensions – to combat other issues that would cause inaccessibility around the house. The kitchen and dining area now form the heart of the house, bordered by a redefined courtyard with new elevation and sheltered colonnade.

A new curved zinc roof, supported by wooden pillars, extends from the living space to shade the poolside terrace.  The use of space, new glazed openings and non-orthogonal volumes opens the interior to natural light, ensures the ground floor is now level and frames views of the landscape to the west. The stables have been extended to create a self-contained two-bedroom flat, integrated within the existing structure. Materials have been chosen to complement the existing red brick and round flint of the original farmhouse, incorporating locally sourced timber for turned columns, windows and doors.

Timber stud construction and wood fibre insulation make the building more airtight, surpassing energy-efficiency requirements. The steel-braced structure is complemented by timber glulam ribs for the curving roof which lessen the overall weight of the building, reducing the expanse of reinforced concrete footings. For the project’s second phase, due to start later this year, the practice has proposed a limecrete floor that makes use of foam glass aggregate as both hardcore and structure, limiting the amount of concrete required.

A new curved zinc roof, supported by wooden pillars, extends from the living space to shade the poolside terrace.  The use of space, new glazed openings and non-orthogonal volumes opens the interior to natural light, ensures the ground floor is now level and frames views of the landscape to the west. The stables have been extended to create a self-contained two-bedroom flat, integrated within the existing structure. Materials have been chosen to complement the existing red brick and round flint of the original farmhouse, incorporating locally sourced timber for turned columns, windows and doors.

Timber stud construction and wood fibre insulation make the building more airtight, surpassing energy-efficiency requirements. The steel-braced structure is complemented by timber glulam ribs for the curving roof which lessen the overall weight of the building, reducing the expanse of reinforced concrete footings. For the project’s second phase, due to start later this year, the practice has proposed a limecrete floor that makes use of foam glass aggregate as both hardcore and structure, limiting the amount of concrete required.

Timber stud construction and wood fibre insulation make the building more airtight, surpassing energy-efficiency requirements. The steel-braced structure is complemented by timber glulam ribs for the curving roof which lessen the overall weight of the building, reducing the expanse of reinforced concrete footings. For the project’s second phase, due to start later this year, the practice has proposed a limecrete floor that makes use of foam glass aggregate as both hardcore and structure, limiting the amount of concrete required.

The steel-braced structure is complemented by timber glulam ribs for the curving roof which lessen the overall weight of the building, reducing the expanse of reinforced concrete footings. For the project’s second phase, due to start later this year, the practice has proposed a limecrete floor that makes use of foam glass aggregate as both hardcore and structure, limiting the amount of concrete required.