Beck Farm and Studio

The conversion, refurbishment and extension of a traditional farmstead in the Howardian Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, North Yorkshire. The existing farmhouse and redundant agricultural barns are in a state of disrepair and dilapidation. The farmstead has changed dramatically over time, having grown when it was a working farm to reducing in size as farming methods became more mechanised. This project offered an opportunity to work with and add to the character of the site and variety of buildings and construction types. We have treated the existing farmhouse and masonry barns as an exercise in restoration while looking to replace the rotten timber-framed barns. Taking its inspiration from the surrounding agricultural precedent, the design of the extension brings the architectural language of the farmstead into a contemporary idiom. With an expansive fully glazed ground plane, the sliding timber facade has the flexibility to screen the internal spaces allowing for both privacy and a connection to the surrounding landscape.