Bindloss Dawes converts former tractor shed into light-filled rural home
Architecture studio Bindloss Dawes has transformed a disused agricultural building into a light-filled, low-carbon house in rural Dorset, UK.
The Tractor Shed was designed and developed by Bindloss Dawes director George Dawes to demonstrate the possibilities of rural adaptive reuse projects.
"The Tractor Shed distils many of our studio's wider ambitions: to make buildings that are elegant, sustainable, cost-effective and are integrated within their rural context," Dawes told Dezeen.
"We believe that building in the countryside necessitates practical, efficient construction, reminiscent of agricultural architecture, and our aim was to create a contemporary take on this that contributes to the discourse of rural architecture."
Working within the constraints of the Class Q Permitted Development category, the studio retained the simple rectilinear form of the original building, preserving as much of the structure as possible.
The retention and adaptation of the existing structure was a central part of the project's low-carbon credentials to help reduce embodied carbon, as well as minimise landfill waste and new building materials.
According to the studio, "zero-carbon-in-use" status was achieved through a combination of factors, including high-performance wall, roof, and floor insulation, as well as the addition of triple-glazed windows.
Additionally, all the energy used in the house is generated on-site through solar panels on the roof that supply clean electricity and an air-source heat pump that delivers heating and hot water.
The Tractor Shed entrance is located at the centre of the single-storey building, with a timber doorway occupying one of the original tractor bays along the facade, carefully adapted to minimise structural change.
Shared and private spaces are located on opposite ends of the house, connected by a corridor that runs along the length of the plan, which the studio said "reinforces the linear nature of the original shed".
The north end of the plan contains a light-filled open-plan kitchen and dining space, as well as a separate living room.
At the centre of the house is an adaptable multi-purpose room, intended to be used either as a snug, home office or fourth bedroom.
The three main bedrooms are located at the south end of the plan, along with the bathrooms. All the bedrooms and living spaces have direct access to the garden and views of the surrounding landscape.
"So much rural residential architecture is dark and poky, with low ceilings and small windows," said Dawes.
"Here, the original structure of the tractor shed, with its monopitched roof and abundance of openings, lent itself to a much brighter, more generous interior."
A minimal, pared-back interior palette was applied throughout, with pale, neutral finishes paired with Douglas fir timber details and handcrafted ironmongery and light fittings.
"Materials and finishes have been approached with restraint and simplicity," said Dawes. "The painted steel roof structure supports a metal composite roof, and both are left exposed, celebrating the building's agricultural origins."
"The rest of the interior is muted, allowing light, space and landscape to take precedent," Dawes said.
"Some light blue has been included within the colour of the floor, which complements the stronger accents of Douglas fir used to frame the entrance windows, both introducing a bit of warmth and colour."
Other projects by Bindloss Dawes recently featured on Dezeen include a centuries-old French hamlet turned into a yoga retreat and a renovation of an 18th-century pub into a Michelin-starred restaurant.
The photography is by Dave Watts.
Project credits:
Architect: Bindloss Dawes
Structural engineer: Splinter Structure
Contractor: SBConstruction
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