Cwm Barn

by Arbor Architects

Client Private

Award RIBA West Midlands Award 2024

Set in a rural location in Herefordshire, Cwm Barn is a striking yet modest addition to an existing house. Clad in black standing seam zinc, it is a detached ancillary building that provides a ‘retreat’ space for the clients and their teenage children; incorporating a home office, exercise area, plant room, and multi-functional family room. While not physically linked, the architects have designed it to create a courtyard setting to the existing building, and it articulates its own entrance under the wide canopy.

Materially, the project embraces the Japanese philosophy of ‘wabi sabi’, which celebrates the beauty of imperfections in the natural world and in the patina of a material’s use. It also utilises a variety of home-grown, locally sourced timber. It is an exemplary architectural project that encapsulates a low-carbon, energy-efficient, and adaptable approach to family living in a rural context.

Read the full citation from the RIBA Awards Jury on RIBA Journal.

Contractor Firth Construction

Structural Engineer Build Collective

Landscape Architect Reckless Orchard

Interior Design Christie Studio

Gross internal area in m² 97