Le Vouest, St.Brelade

COMPLETED 2011 // DESIGN AWARD 2011 - COMMENDED - BEST REFURBISHMENT OF AN HISTORIC BUILDING

Godel Architects were appointed to revitalise a semi-derelict, Site of Special Interest, where both the spatial design and construction techniques required sensitive handling. The brief was to transform three historic farm buildings into a unified family home. The first building, the former West Barn, became a five-bedroom house created from the original shell and extended with a contemporary enclosure that reinterprets traditional barn forms; traditional materials used in a modern way allowed the old and new elements to read clearly yet sit together as a coherent whole. The original farm cottage was fully refurbished to modern thermal standards while retaining traditional features such as its thatched roof, and now serves as a three-bedroom guest suite. The East Barn was adapted to provide an office, entertainment space, and staff flat, upgraded through careful technical detailing suited to listed structures. Together, the three buildings form a harmonious group that shows how historic fabric and contemporary construction can complement each other.