Designing a barn conversion

Many people love the idea of turning a barn into a home, but the wrong design could ruin the agricultural charm of the structure. Julian Owen shares his top design tips for taking on this kind of project

Julian Owen

Designscape Architects have turned this grade II listed barn into a contemporary home. The building was previously in a bad state of disrepair, but the revision has retained as many of the original features as was possible

Three years ago, a change was made to planning rules that has made it possible to convert a barn into a house under permitted development (PD) rights. This means you may not need to formally apply for planning permission to undertake this kind of project. Offering authentic rural charm, often in secluded locations, barn conversions have a number of benefits, and the ruling change has further encouraged their popularity. But successful schemes have to strike the right balance between satisfying the practical needs of the occupants and retaining the appeal of the original structure.

A catch-all term

Barns are generally recognised as any buildings used in the course of farming, including stables, dairies, haylofts and more. Many have been erected using traditional construction materials and methods, which is often a key part of what makes them so attractive. However, they were not created with a view to being lived in, so their production was usually as cheap as possible. Although most poorly built examples have yielded to natural selection and fallen down, many of the survivors have been patched and propped up over the years, meaning they need significant repairs to be transformed into enduring family homes.

Provided the structure was built before March 2013, it has the potential to be converted under PD rights. But it’s crucial for the end result to maintain the essential barnlike character of the original building. Even the most basic traditional rural examples have features that are worth preserving; but the planning rules apply just as much to modern steel sheds, which are perhaps harder to love and require a totally different design approach.