The Cowshed

The scheme focuses around key views out towards the Scout Dike reservoir to the south of the site, which became immediately apparent the first time we visited the site. The undulating landscape down towards the water offered a number of key vantage points to maximise engagement with the landscape, which was fostered through large framed openings in the façade.

The internal cranked axis was utilized to emphasize the link down toward the reservoir and is amplified by the timber Dinesen flooring strip which runs unapologetically through the heart of the plan, highlighting the shift and focusing the eye out to the landscape beyond. The mass of the building is sliced into two spaces offering up subdivision and flexibility, which was a key client requirement for the space, which allowed the design team to create a two solid forms within the envelope, separated by a double height void to optimise daylight, with the main black raw burnished steel stair contrasting the space. The continuous folder riser/treads create a subtle continuity between levels, with the folded handrail integrated into the balustrade also in the raw steel. The project had a tight budget from the outset, and the materiality that was chosen needed to have a simple functional aesthetic that was affordable and also echoed the agricultural heritage of the site and original building. Breeze blocks are cut horizontally to elongate the proportion at ground level emphasizing solidity, the first floor echoes the simple agricultural aesthetic, functional sinusoidal steel cladding with minimal trims and deep window reveals focus the framed views out to the landscape.