Morlands Farm Dutch Barn, Henfield Building, West Sussex Property, Sandy Rendel Architects English Architecture
Morlands Farm Dutch Barn, West Sussex, UK
25 November 2022
Converted historic Dutch barn in West Sussex shortlisted for RIBA House of the Year 2022
RIBA House of the Year 2022 Winners
15 July 2022
Morlands Farm Dutch Barn is one of the UK’s best new homes
The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has announced the longlist for the 2022 RIBA House of the Year. The shortlist and winner are to be revealed on Channel 4’s Grand Designs: House of the Year.
RIBA House of the Year 2022 Winners
5 May 2022
Seven projects have been awarded Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Southeast Awards.
Morlands Farm Dutch Barn, Henfield, West Sussex, south east England, UK
Design: Sandy Rendel Architects
photograph : Richard Chivers
Morlands Farm Dutch Barn, Henfield, West Sussex, England
Jury Report
Morlands Farm is a private house with a big difference: the clients have created a wonderful eight-acre public garden, wanting to live as well as work in the midst of this landscape. This means sharing their lives with the public who come to see their Sussex Prairie Gardens.
To achieve this they commissioned Sandy Rendel Architects to convert a historic Dutch Barn that sat within the garden, making use of planning rules that allow the conversion of agricultural buildings outside of traditional development boundaries.
photo : Jim Stephenson
Such conversions can often lose the character of the original building. However, at Morlands Farm the architects have successfully turned the existing structure into a contemporary house that carries a quiet authenticity. Through careful detailing and research into materials, the building retains the feel of the original ‘black wrinkly tin’ barn, whilst the large, abstractly-positioned windows give a contemporary look that speaks also of the ways that such barns are patched and change over time.
photo : Rachael Smith
Inside, the house is ‘upside-down’: the ground floor contains light-filled bedrooms and an office for administering the gardens, but the real magic is upstairs. Rough-sawn timber stairs lead up to a single large space with a great curving vaulted ceiling which follows the shape of the roof. Here the architect’s skill has conjured a space that feels grand and yet also intimate and warm, which creates different zones for different activities without losing the sense of the whole. Bold but not garish colours, and careful placing of bookshelves and window seats combine with a confident positioning of windows to allow the moments and activities of everyday life to connect with the garden and the wider landscape of the South Downs beyond.
photo : Jim Stephenson
A final flourish encapsulates the joyful nature of this project: the clients asked for a viewing tower next to the house, for the public to enjoy an elevated view of the garden. Constructed from Corten steel, this cylindrical tower is suggestive of agricultural grain silos and so complements the main house. At the end of a long day working in the garden, after the public have left, the clients can cross a bridge from the house to the top of the tower where it becomes a secluded private terrace.
photo : Richard Chivers
RIBA region: Southeast
Architect practice: Sandy Rendel Architects Ltd.
Date of completion: June 2019
Date of occupation: June 2019
Client company name: Paul & Pauline McBride
Project city/town: Henfield
Contract value: £496,000.00
Gross internal area: 219.00 m²
Net internal area: 192.00 m²
Cost per m²: £2,265.00 / m²
Contractor company name: Harfrey Construction Ltd.
Consultants
Structural Engineers: Structure Workship
Quantity Surveyor / Cost Consultant: Holpen Associates
Approved Building Inspector: Stroma Building Control
Awards
• RIBA Regional Award
• Regional/RSAW Client of the Year
• Regional Small Project of the Year
• Regional Award Short List
2022 RIBA Southeast Award Winners
2022 RIBA Southeast Award winners
Morlands Farm Dutch Barn, Henfield, West Sussex – 2022 RIBA Southeast Award winners images / information received 040522
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RIBA Southeast Awards
RIBA Southeast Awards Archive
RIBA Southeast Awards Winners 2018
RIBA Southeast Awards Shortlist 2018
Location: Morlands Farm Dutch Barn, Henfield, West Sussex, Southeast England, UK
RIBA Awards Past Winners
RIBA Awards Winning Buildings + Architects
English Architecture Designs – chronological list
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