Old meets new at this Norfolk barn conversion by HeathWalker Studio, which took an unloved steel-framed 1970s barn and transformed it into a modern loft-style home.

The Norfolk property scooped the practice (in collaboration with David Buckingham Design) the 2009 Campaign for Rural England Design Award for its innovative approach to adaptive reuse. HeathWalker Studio stripped the building back to its bare steel frame, removing asbestos cladding and leaving the barn’s first bay open to create a buffer between it and an adjoining, listed 16th-century barn.

Swatches of tawny larch cladding and a metal roof riff on the agricultural lexicon, while interiors are like giant light wells, with views of Norfolk’s big skies. Sliding glass panes on the ground floor open onto the garden and outdoor terraces, while four bedrooms occupy the upper level.

The countryside compound is for sale via The Modern House and includes a 10-bay cart shed, currently used as a social space, as well as the 2,083 sq ft original barn and a painting studio.

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