Barn Conversion: a gentle approach to sustainable renovation in Norfolk.

Ten years after we'd completed the renovation and the interiors of their home in Notting Hill, our clients came to see us again.

The brief was to restore and modernise an old barn they'd bought as their weekend house.

The old stone building sits on the North Norfolk path. It has sweeping views of the salt marshes and the creek. It's in the prettiest part of North Norfolk, minutes from the village of Burnham Market and Brancaster and Hunstanton golf course.

In the 1970s, someone converted the old barn on a budget. They paid little attention to its historic character and installed an old, expensive, and soon-to-be-banned oil central heating system.

The key challenge was to make the running of a big house, used at weekends, environmentally and economically sustainable. We put in place a sustainable design strategy.

At the same time, we wanted to preserve the rich architectural character of the brick and flint building, and nod to the mercantile past of the area.

A ground-source heat pump and two wood-burning fireplaces provide hot water and heating.The new system is green and flexible. The heat pump and the fireplaces can be used together or separately. They can be adjusted to match the outside temperature and the number of people in the house.

Roofs, walls, and floors have been insulated, and anti-flood measures have been installed on the ground floor.

The clients did not want to lose the twin conservatories and the glazed gabled opening above the entrance. These were part of the seventies’ design. We replaced the single glazing with double-glazed units. They have thermal-coated glass and modern steel frames to reduce thermal loss.

Wherever feasible, we've reused stone and bricks from the existing building.

We also sourced reclaimed floor bricks and roof pan tiles from Norfolk Antique and Reclamation Yard. We chose new materials for their low embodied carbon. For example, we used clay bricks for the new partition walls. The bricks last a long time and need little maintenance. We also used steel, powder-coated window frames and charred timber cladding.

When the stone building's renovation finished, we filled the barn with an eclectic mix of the clients’ family heirlooms, artisanal and modern classic pieces. The client has added her own textile art, inspired by the colours and textures of the North Norfolk Coast.

Now it is possible to enjoy the barn for short stays and long summer holidays too.