Doomsday Barn, Oxfordshire
with WGP Architects
Worton Barn is a sensitively extended and refurbished 19th century barn in Oxfordshire’s Green Belt and part of a small holding mentioned in the Doomsday book, to form a modern 5-bed family home.
The original barn and new steel framed extension intersect to form a double height living space with striking views across the gardens to the adjacent lake. The family bedrooms, study and playroom are accommodated in the new extension, whilst the kitchen, boot and spare room, with gallery to the living space, are in the wing of the original barn. The intersection of new and old is clearly expressed in the detailing internally and externally, with Oolitic limestone to original and new walls with a contrasting finish.
As would be expected from a 19th Century farm structure, the existing building fabric of Worton Barn suffered significant heat loss and air permeability problems. Despite its classification as an existing dwelling, all existing thermal elements of the Barn were upgraded, designed to exceed the thermal performance requirements of new dwellings.