Studio Weave recent conversion of a mid-20th Century barn into a family home near Cowes on the Isle of Wight is a model for how rural buildings can be reimagined without erasure.

Photos
Lorenzo Landri

Studio Weave has completed the conversion of a farm building on the Isle of Wight, turning a 158 square metre barn into a three bedroom family home. Located near Cowes and surrounded by working farmland, the structure sits within a landscape of fields stretching towards the River Medina. Its enduring weathered materials, simple form and rough edges have been carried into the new home, where careful interventions preserve the memory of the site while adapting it for contemporary use. 

Studio Weave’s design was guided by a light-touch approach, with minimal alterations to the barn’s existing structure. The design amplifies the character of the existing structure ensuring that traces of its 50 year history remain visible. 

Central to the home is a double-height living, dining and kitchen space, positioned on the barn’s north-northeast side where a glazed elevation opens the interiors out to farmland views, bringing in a soft morning light.

Cast concrete appears throughout, forming robust benches and counter surfaces that balance the lighter timber finishes. Together, these materials create a durable environment that both maintains the barn’s simplicity and restrained material palette. 

Craft and collaboration were central to the design process. Studio Weave worked closely with Imphouse maker Mike and his team, developing many details directly on site. A hands-on approach like this allows interventions to respond to the pre-existing setting and structure and leaves the building with a bespoke quality. 

The project extends outward into the landscape. In partnership with Tom Massey Studio, the architects established a long-term vision for the garden that continues their interest in resilient, low-maintenance planting. Decades-old concrete was removed, where necessary to improve drainage, and crushed to be reused as mulch, minimising imported resources.

The house has been orientated against the prevailing wind to minimise heat loss, aligning with the barn’s original agricultural intention. With energy provided by an air source heat pump, insulation throughout and double glazing, the result is a robust building with low running costs. 

For Studio Weave, the project represents an exploration of “deep reuse.” As founder Je Ahn explains, “You cannot design the feel of an aged building – we knew it was important to retain the elements that expressed the passing of time. Our aim was to open up the barn, both practically and metaphorically, to make it more accessible for its new inhabitants. Repurposing materials found on site for both their narrative and practical value allowed us to preserve the building’s story while giving it a new future.” 

By embedding the building within its agricultural setting and allowing the marks of age to remain, South Barn becomes both a home and a continuation of the farm’s story, a model for how rural buildings might be reimagined without erasure.