Grade II Brick Tithe Barn & Weatherboarded Barn
Repairs & Office Conversion
I was originally appointed to deal with contract administration for internal repairs and strengthening works to the brick Tithe Barn on the farm. There were some brick repairs, using lime mortar. In addition, the roof frame required major strengthening, which was achieved using carefully designed and bespoke made steelwork. The introduction of the steel minimised the amount of timber that would otherwise be lost. The work also involved re-roofing and repair to the roof structure.
Nearby was a redundant timber framed barn and it was in need of repair and a new use. Following the works to the Tithe Barn Whitworth were appointed to undertake the conversion to form new lettable office accommodation. To convert the building required considerable sympathetic renovation and repair works. I undertook condition surveys and provided the heritage statement for the listed building consent application. Colleagues at Whitworth dealt with the planning matters and then the contract administration for the works.
A number of repairs were undertaken using oak and traditional methods however a series of ‘agricultural’ metal strapping repairs were also undertaken, it was considered that these were in keeping with the nature of the barn and true to its heritage. Brick plinth repairs and repointing, using lime mortar, were also undertaken.
The barn was completely re-roofed with large sections of asbestos sheet roofing replaced with slate. To retain the original barn openings large glass screens were incorporated, letting light into the workspaces and also retaining the external aesthetic of the barn. Existing lean to areas were in a poor state of repair and these were either demolished and rebuilt or repaired These now house new meeting rooms and the service areas, including the staff break out areas, kitchenette and WCs. The rear service wing lean to has a zinc roof and large roof light to add a contemporary agricultural twist to the overall design. A benefit of the lean-to housing these spaces is that it has allowed the main barn to be kept as a single open plan space, retaining the proportions of the original. Both the walls and roof have been insulated externally which has allowed the timber frame to be preserved internally creating a stunning interior, for which a bespoke lighting design has been produced.
