Ruins transformed into a home in this adaptive reuse project

A Grade II listed Victorian house, disused cattle shed and the ruins of a former parchment factory have been preserved and turned into a distinctive character-filled home.

Will Gamble Architects approached this adaptive reuse project by proposing a “building within a building” to preserve and celebrate the ruin. Two new lightweight structures sit within the existing masonry walls.

The new extension was made from upcycled materials found mostly on site, which helps the new modern form blend sensitively with the original buildings. This sustainable approach also proved to be a cost effective solution. Additionally, existing structural beams of the cattle shed were left exposed and the stone walls were repointed.

A modern new kitchen has been built in one half of the ruin and the sleek new materials provide a gorgeous contrast to the existing raw timber and exposed stone. The other half of the ruin has been turned into a courtyard providing a sheltered space to admire the old building bought back to life.

The original brief from the client asked to renovate the cattle shed, demolish the ruinous parchment factory and build a new extension its place. However, thankfully, the architects could see the beauty and potential of the crumbling building and turned what was considered worthless into the one of a kind feature of the adaptive reuse home. Had they knocked down the old building, the home and the town would’ve lost a unique part of it’s character and it’s history.

Related project: Capsule Hotel by Atelier Tao+C is another amazing adaptive reuse project, where they adapted an old rammed earth home into a boutique hotel.

Sustainability specs:
– Adaptive reuse home
– Masses of construction waste saved from landfill by preserving the old building
– New extension built using upcycled materials found on site

A palette of honest materials was chosen both internally and externally which references the site’s history and the surrounding rural context.

Externally, corten steel, oak, and reclaimed brick have been used. The extension was built out of up-cycled materials predominantly found on site which was both cost-effective and sustainable, whilst allowing the proposal to sensitively blend into its surroundings.