Title: Rookery Barn, Norfolk

Client: Private

Job: Barn Conversion

Date: 2010

Rookery Barn was purchased by an existing Owen Bond Partnership client and the practice was engaged to develop proposals for the conversion of the brick and flint barn to residential accommodation.

The barn had an existing colony of bats living and feeding within its confines and one of the principle concerns was how to ensure that the bats were not disturbed and to accommodate them within the residential property. In agreement with Natural England a bat box was incorporated into the roof of the barn.

The design for the barn retains and utilises many of the existing features of the agricultural building including the ‘slit’ windows and main barn doors. The property utilises a ground source heat pump, installed during the construction of the separate cartshed garage, for both heating and hot water, which has significantly reduced the heating bills. Wherever possible the client requested that sustainable materials were used in the construction and these include timber from sustainable sources and zinc rainwater goods which can
be recycled.