No longer required for agricultural purposes, our clients wished to convert their substantial Dutch barn into a residential dwelling.

The barn was previously used for the storage of hay and was composed of six steel portal frames. It is situated in the Metropolitan Green Belt, within the administrative area of St Albans and City District Council.

Prior Approval under Class Q was initially obtained to establish the change of use from agricultural to residential.

Full Planning approval was later secured which allowed us to put in a first floor. This was a more valuable consent for our client as it was not restricted by the limitations of Class Q.

The design was influenced by the existing structure of the barn and its orientation and topography. Large, airy spaces express the barn's original scale and volume, providing a large amount of natural daylight into the centre of the building from the North and South and long panoramic views over the open countryside.