Deck House Barn
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A new barn and entrance extension to a single family house
Located in the High Weald AONB the barn, set at a right angle to the Deck House, was designed to complete the courtyard replacing an old 1950s garage. It provides extra living, working, guest and garage accommodation. A new extension was also added to the main house incorporating a shower room, coat storage and verandah with boot and log stores, creating a clear, welcoming entrance.
The detail and materiality of the barn came from the existing white-stained larch boarding because of planning conditions within the AONB and to create a cohesive composition. To develop a conversation between the barn and house both are clad in natural rough sawn larch boards with vertical fins that create a strong visual texture and conceal the locks and hinges. The form of the barn is simple and classic and the pitch and size of the gable exactly matches the house but is set a storey higher. The two gable windows are full height flush glazing with inset solid opening vents echoing barn loft doors. Local Crowborough bricks are used for the zig zag path across the planted ‘moat’ to the verandah entrance.
The barn and entrance extension are predominantly timber framed construction supplemented with a steel superstructure to manage the long spans and cantilevered entrance canopy. The house and barn are clad with 95mm x 20mm rough sawn larch boards over a highly insulated timber framed structure.
Internally red terracotta coloured porcelain tiles are used for the barn and house entrance and shower room, a reference to the traditional Kent and Sussex clay tile floors. Wisa spruce ply is used for the barn stair, first floor flooring and balustrade units with expressed edges, an integral characteristic of the detailing. A single stainless steel tube creates a sculptural solution to the handrail.
Data
- Begun: May 2016
- Completed: Aug 2017
- Floor area: 228m2
- Sector: House
- Total cost: £165,000
- Funding: Private
- Tender date: Feb 2016
- Procurement: RIBA JCT Homeowner contract
- Address: Deck House Barn, Wadhurst, East Sussex, TN5, United Kingdom
Professional Team
- Architect: Theis + Khan architects
- Client: Private
- Structural engineer: Paul Molineux Associates
- Main Contractor : Myriad construction Ltd
- Approved Building Inspector: BBS Group
- Lighting design: George Sexton Associates
- Photographer : Nick Kane
Suppliers
- Doors and Ironmongery: Opitome
- Architectural doors and glazing: Ridlands Ltd
- Flat rooflights: The Rooflight Company
- Bathroom sanitaryware: CP Hart
- Internal lighting supplier: Lucent Lighting
- Internal lighting supplier: XAL Lighting
- Architectural metalwork: SLS Fabrications Ltd
- Wall and floor tiling: Mosa tiles