Stunning barn conversion: from tractor shed to trailblazer
In Steph and Chris Green's new barn conversion, rural roots meet radical sustainability
Who says a barn conversion can’t be bold, beautiful and full of surprises?
Steph and Chris Green’s eco-friendly barn conversion is part rustic shell, part architectural marvel—and entirely built for sustainable living.
The couple and their two teenage boys recently moved into their new home, built under Class Q rules that allow the conversion of agricultural buildings.
Yet among green building projects, this one really stands out.
“We’ve lived our whole lives in old buildings that are expensive to maintain and are draughty,” says Steph Green.
“We thought how nice it would be to live in a beautiful new house, where everything works, and enjoy an eco-friendly life.”
Unusual Design
The front entrance of Steph and Chris’s barn conversion , which is built inside an existing modern barn. Image credit: Charles Emerson
The original barn, used for silage and storing heavy machinery, remains.
Yet inside sits the Green’s home, a new building clad in salvaged timber.
Between the two are ‘hybrid’ spaces the family uses as an outside kitchen, a ‘winter garden’, and even ‘reflecting pools’.
It’s a design that is original, striking and sustainable.
“I love that it looks like a barn,” laughs Steph. “And it’s a surprise when you get inside.”
But the couple didn’t start their build journey with this design in mind.
Chris, a chef-turned-hotelier, comes from a farming family, and they offered Steph and Chris an unused barn.
Then, the couple asked Wiltshire-based architect Rob Elkins of Artel 31 to come up with a design.
This creative practice of young architects puts creativity and sustainability at the heart of everything they do.
“We love everything Rob at Artel 31 has designed,” says Steph.
Even so, Steph took a little persuasion to embrace the sustainable barn design.
“I didn’t get it at first; my husband got it. But once I understood, I loved it.”
Getting Permission
Their first hurdle was achieving planning permission, which took two attempts.
The first granted the right to a class Q conversion, and the second passed Rob’s design – the second permission came through without too many problems, and the build could begin.
The Build
The house is built inside the barn, which has sections of roof and cladding remaining. The house is also clad in timber, some of which was salvaged from the barn, making it very eco-friendly. Image credit: Charles Emerson.
The couple also asked Artel 31 to convert the barn and construct the home, preventing any potential problems caused by poor communication between different companies. This was a good choice, and the build went smoothly.
Keeping both sustainability and a visual connection to the building’s agricultural roots in mind, Rob’s design for this eco-friendly barn conversion cleverly re-used parts of the original structure.
“We used [the barn’s] steel frame and its existing foundations,” explains Rob.
“But these were bolstered by new footings under some of the timber frame walls [of the new house].”
Next, they re-used some timber cladding from the barn to clad the walls of the house, plus some new, rough-sawn treated softwood to match.
“This will age and blend with the reused lumber,” says Rob.
Going Green
Although the timber cladding makes the house design look rustic, the home is at the cutting edge of renewable technology.
Steph and Chris were keen to avoid any fossil fuels, so they installed solar panels for electricity and an air source heat pump for heating – now, this highly insulated home stays a comfortable 20 degrees.
In addition, Steph and Chris chose a mechanical ventilation and heat recovery system.
This is a whole-house system that draws in fresh filtered air and vents stale air after extracting the heat.
“The MVHR was our best decision,” says Steph.
“There are no odours from cooking, and dust levels have improved, although it does take up a lot of space.”
Seeing the Light
Inside the house, the polycarbonate wall creates a diffuse light. A concrete panel acts as a heat sink and gives a nod to the home’s agricultural origins. Image credit: Charles Emerson.
Light was important to this project, and architect Rob Elkins took a technical approach.
“We used software to ensure a high-quality internal environment with sufficient light, while regulating heat gain in the summer.”
This meant the house was positioned to enjoy as much winter sun as possible, which helps to keep it warm, but Rob cut the barn’s roof to act as a sunshade, preventing overheating.
“We were afraid it would be too hot in the summer,” says Steph.
“But the angles mean it is warm in winter and cool in the summer. The barn acts as a brise soleil.”
Another eco-friendly innovation by Rob was a pioneering multilayered polycarbonate wall on one side of the house.
“It’s a semi-opaque wall that glows internally by day and externally by night, animating the space while maintaining a U-value of 0.13,” says Rob.
Steph describes it as an “optical illusion” that creates a “diffuse and gentle light. I believe we are the first house in the country with this as a wall.”
Eco-friendly Modern Interiors
These beautiful blue stairs are made from folded steel. Architect Rob Elkins describes craning them into place through the barn roof as one of the build’s biggest challenges. Image credit: Charles Emerson.
This wall of light contrasts with the centerpiece folded steel stairs, which connect the home’s two levels.
Craning those one-tonne stairs into the house with just 50mm of clearance was Rob’s biggest headache, but Steph loves them and credits their interior designer, Rachel Tilley, for the incredible colour choice.
“The greeny-blue ties it to the outside: the sky and the grass”, she says.
Colour brings this rural home together, with parts of the corridor painted in the same ‘Oval Room Blue’ from Farrow and Ball as the sitting room.
“Rachel was a massive help,” says Steph, who had limited time to spend on these details, thanks to her work as a doctor.
Industrial Chic meets Rural Design
This re-used concrete panel was in the original barn and now acts as both a room separator between the living and dining areas and also as a heat sink. Image credit: Charles Emerson
Perhaps the most extraordinary part of this sustainable barn conversion’s interior is the reused concrete panels.
These and the exposed concrete flooring absorb heat and release it slowly, creating a stable indoor environment.
Yet old concrete, complete with rusty screws and chunks gouged out by diggers, isn’t to everyone’s taste.
“I love the way Rob re-used two original panels to break up the space and act as heat sinks. It is very clever,” says Steph.
“They bring honesty to the house, which is sharp and modern overall.
“I find them solid and reassuring. I like to touch them; they make me feel connected to the original building.”
Blurring Inside and Out
This outdoor kitchen is a favourite space for former chef Chris. The kitchen is in a hybrid space between the house and the exterior walls of the barn. Image credit: Charles Emerson.
With this eco-friendly home, there’s plenty of space for everyone and Steph and Chris’ two boys enjoy having a cinema room.
This room doesn’t have – or need – any windows and was the perfect choice to place on the side of the building next to a public footpath, as there’s no overlooking.
Steph particularly enjoys working in her home office, a pod that projects out and over the outdoor kitchen, it has lovely views of the surrounding countryside, and “at the moment, the lambs are out, and I can barely work for laughing! It’s joyful,”
The open-plan kitchen and dining space has been a huge hit with the family. It’s separated from the living room by one of the concrete panels.
This has a hole cut out for the smoke and fume-free bioethanol fire.
Kitchen is a Happy Accident
The kitchen and dining room are open-plan and open onto the rear garden. Image credit: Charles Emerson.
The kitchen design came about by accident. As Steph walked through Clifton in Bristol one day, she passed Schmidt Kitchens and decided to pop in.
Impressed by the quality and the designs on offer, she commissioned a chic, contemporary kitchen with black cabinetry and contrasting pale oak doors.
The countertops are quartz, with a waterfall edge on the island. With a boiling water tap from specialists Quooker and a slide-out drawer for the coffee machine, it is designed and built exactly for the family’s needs.
Steph and Chris hosted 19 guests for Christmas last year with ease.
Although the kitchen cost approximately £10,000 more than a typical high street brand, Steph feels it was worth it for the quality and the “most fantastic” customer service.
Putting Down Roots
Now the family has moved in, Steph and Chris feel that their new home has exceeded their brief.
“We’re quite adventurous people and this was a leap of faith,” laughs Steph. “Our high point was moving in. We have lived in four houses in four years, so the best thing was feeling settled, getting my books out of storage and knowing we will never need to move again.”
All images credit: Charles Emerson.
For more ideas on sustainable barn conversions, read this.
