House in Old Barn in Suffolk County41 photos

The studio David Nossiter Architects has renovated a brick barn in Suffolk County, England, transforming a derelict rural building into a spacious modern home.

After a fire destroyed the estate to which the barn belonged, the building remained abandoned for many years, gradually falling into ruin.

The architects aimed to highlight the building's main asset—the large, unified interior space with high eight-meter ceilings. To achieve this, they chose to leave the roof trusses visible and maximize open-plan layout where possible. To meet thermal performance standards, all insulation was placed on the exterior of the roof. The barn walls were also insulated with sheep wool panels, clad in larch boards.

Original window openings were glazed using internal wooden frames; sliding glass doors connect the dining room to the terrace.

The large glazed entrance in the center of the building allows a full view through the entire structure, continuing the gaze toward the fields behind the house.

The architects maintained an open interior layout to enhance the sense of spaciousness created by the building's imposing scale. Additional elements, including the kitchen furniture set, bedroom details, wardrobe partitions, and bathroom fixtures, were made from birch-ply.

A smooth concrete floor, used throughout all rooms, creates a continuous surface interrupted only by 10mm joints that delineate the main spatial zones.

Photography: Steve Lancefield