Gym & Annex,
West Oxford
Brief
Previously converted in 1974, the current owners wished to re-imagine how listed barns in the curtilage of their home could be used as a fully functioning annex for adult siblings and visitors, whilst providing state-of-the-art gym facilities within a redundant storage barn in the grounds of Grade II* listed dovecote and ruin.
Challenges
To accommodate a particular brief within historically significant yet tired buildings, together with a vision for a more creative approach to the re-use of old buildings which avoids diminishing the character of the original.
Solution
For the gym, we imagined a pristine jewel within the knarled structure of the original barn. The new glazed enclosure provides comfort, security and environmental control to the exercise space, whilst maintaining a strong relationship with the enclosure of the barn, at times disappearing through the extensive use of mirrored steel and glass.
