Project / Retrofit & Reuse

The Cowshed

An old barn for a new home

The Cowshed, a historic listed barn in the Cotswolds, was threatening to collapse on its fragile timber before restoration works started. The challenge was two-fold: to restore the barn back to a stable building, and to turn it into a home. Design Storey and Matford Construction worked alongside us to repair and keep as much of the historic fabric as possible to ensure the new home was as striking outside as it was comfortable inside. The conversion of the barn into a new dwelling was such a success that it won two RIBA Awards in 2025.

Project Lead

Neil Lancaster

Project Team

Dan Payne

Location Gloucestershire
Client Private
Completion 2024

A challenge like no other

The incredibly weathered state of the timber throughout the barn turned the project into a real challenge. Over time, the existing trusses had sunk low towards the ground; our main conservation goal was to retain the original timber and trusses outside the building, hence the need for an inventive solution.

Raising the roof

To ensure the retention of the trusses, we decided to realign the roof structure and to raise the eaves to their original height, before supporting the posts with the existing padstones. This allowed for complete reuse of the timber and structure with minimum impact on the barn.

To perfect the result, we covered the roof with a metal sheeting and introduced natural, sustainable materials such as lime plaster and sheepswool insulation.