Hall Farm Barns, Norfolk
Commissioned in 2001, Curtis Wood Architects were asked to master-plan a large barn complex within the curtilage of a scheduled castle monument in Norfolk.
The design was carefully developed to give few clues from the outside that the barns had been converted. Behind the 3ft thick brick and flint walls, arrow slits and large barn doors, a dramatic and substantial family home was proposed.
The design made the most of the three storey internal height, leaving the main barn height open to expose the roof structure and creating a galleried study set within the timber trussed roof. The master bedroom was double height to retain the character of the barn. Other measures were taken to bring the historic feel into the interior, with brick window reveals, slate floors and heavy timber sections proposed, to heighten the barn aesthetic.
The overall plan linked the barns together through carefully chosen floor finishes and lighting, and openings within external walls. A proposed courtyard orchard provided the perfect foil between the large expansive Norfolk landscape and the rustic barn.
