Located immediately adjacent to Little Horsecroft Cottage (completed by IF_DO in 2018), Little Horsecroft Barn forms part of a holistic redevelopment of the Little Horsecroft Estate. The barn was a redundant threshing barn, dating from the 19th century, which had fallen into disrepair. 

Responding to the agricultural heritage, strong axial lines of the existing barn, and the rolling surrounding landscape, the design celebrates the unique character and layout of the building. Intervention to historic fabric has been kept to a minimum: the brick and flint plinth are preserved on all elevations; the structure is exposed internally to retain clarity; and a non-domestic approach adopted to fenestration, further emphasising the clean form of the original structure.

The renovated barn is accessed via a new entrance courtyard, formed by rebuilding the original east and west wings to accommodate a cart lodge and guest accommodation to the east and a joinery workshop to the west. On entering the house, a sequence of volumes of varying heights unfurls. At the centre of the plan in the original barn is a triple-height reception space with hearth, flanked by two floors of guest accommodation to the west, and master suite and ancillary spaces to the east. A large open-plan kitchen and living space is located in the south-facing, single storey extension, which features floor to ceiling glazing, commanding views of the gardens, natural ponds and countryside beyond. 

“It is very rare that you see a house where there has been no compromise, a build where there has been no compromise, and where there’s a very clear concept and it's been followed through right through execution. There is a lot of love, and care and consideration in everything that has been done, and that is increasingly rare to see, so I am in awe of what you’ve achieved. I think it's a stunning project.”

— Charlie Luxton, Great British Home Restoration, Channel 4