A former agricultural building is transformed into a minimal rural home by Bindloss Dawes

Bindloss Dawes Architects have created a zero-carbon house from unlikely source material, transforming an old tractor shed into a linear four-bedroom house. Located in rural splendour on the edge of a Dorset village, the new house retains the shape and footprint of the original agricultural structure, left derelict adjacent fields at the northern edge of the village.

Bindloss Dawes, founded by Oliver Bindloss and George Dawes in 2018, is based in Bruton, a short drive to the north. The project was initiated as a speculative development, an opportunity to put the practice principles of adaptive reuse and zero-carbon design to work in an economically viable way.

The house runs north-south, with all accommodation arranged on a single level beneath a mono-pitched roof, clad in metal and highly insulated. From the entrance in the centre of house, bedrooms are arranged to the left, with a large kitchen-diner space in the heart of the house and a living room with views across the fields to the west.

The entire house is connected by a long hallway that runs the full 25m length of the structure, culminating in the main bedroom at the southern end. All bedrooms, along with the kitchen and living rooms, have direct access onto the exterior space.

The stripped back nature of the structure recalls its agricultural roots, with exposed steel beams and metal composite roof structure. Off-white rendered exterior walls are paired with timber door and window frames, with the interior deliberately muted and low-key, while attention to detail is paramount is obvious on every surface and piece of joinery. The project, which is for sale with The Modern House, has been decorated with a modest midcentury vibe.

Dawes, who oversaw the design and delivery of the Tractor Shed, describes the project as a distillation of the lessons learned over many years of working on rural and utilitarian projects, everything from a private garage to a wellness retreat.

The other driving force was the desire for outstanding environmental performance. In addition to the high levels of insulation, the house is triple glazed and entirely energy sufficient. An air-source heat pump provides the heating and hot water, with photovoltaic panels supplying electricity.

‘This project has been a rare opportunity to bring together many of the ideas of our architecture studio: to create a high-quality, sustainable home on a manageable budget,’ says Dawes, ‘It demonstrates how an unassuming agricultural structure can be elevated into something that feels crafted and generous, combining the practical and the poetic.’

BindlossDawes.com, @BindlossDawes

The project is for sale through The Modern House