North Acre, Dorset
North Acre is a stunning five-bedroom barn conversion, situated on the top of a hill with breath-taking views over the rolling countryside just north of Shaftesbury, on the edge of the Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Key Takeaways:
- Location: North Acre, Dorset
- Project Type: Barn conversion into a contemporary eco-home
- Architect: Campbell Jackson Architects
- Timber Products Supplied:
- 22 Accoya® tilt and turn windows
- 4 Accoya® doors
- Finish: Gowercroft’s semi-transparent grey finish
- Benefits: Minimal maintenance, seamless indoor-outdoor views, enhanced thermal performance
How do you turn a Dorset cattle shed into a contemporary eco-home?
Vanessa and Bruce Jones always dreamed of building their own home in the countryside. That dream became reality when they found a large rural plot in Dorset with an unused steel-framed agricultural building.
The south-facing 400-square-metre structure had once been a cattle shed. Despite its industrial past, it had huge potential. Vanessa explained:
“As soon as we saw North Acre, we were wowed by its awesome location and immediately knew that, with the right design, this old industrial-looking farm building could be transformed into a light and airy, modern open-plan eco home for our family.”
How did the architects maintain the building’s character?
Campbell Jackson Architects embraced the sheer scale and simplicity of the original building. Instead of hiding its agricultural roots, they designed the home to enhance them.
“We believe in creating buildings that are beautiful and right for their place, by uncovering and exploiting the uniqueness of each project within its context,” said Jamie Campbell.
The team kept the steel frame and the original footprint. They used pre-cast concrete panels and expanses of unfinished Siberian larch cladding to create a restrained, modern look. The design intentionally avoided obvious signs of domesticity, allowing the structure to remain anonymous in the rural landscape.
Why did they choose Gowercroft timber windows and doors?
The south-facing elevation needed to connect with the expansive landscape.
To maximise the southern views, Campbell Jackson Architects chose large-format timber windows and doors. Doing so framed the surrounding countryside and allowed natural light to flood into the open-plan interior.
This was using Accoya® tilt and turn windows and lift-and-slide doors handcrafted by Gowercroft Joinery.
“We were looking for high-quality traditional timber windows and doors to blend in with the concrete lintels, and particularly the Siberian larch cladding, which will gradually weather over time from its original blond colour to a paler sun-bleached look,” said Jamie.
They first discovered our work through the Juergen Teller Studio project, shortlisted for the 2017 Stirling Prize.
“The silver-grey translucent finish, which reveals the simplicity of the Accoya® grain pattern beneath, had exactly the right tone and contemporary aesthetic we were looking to achieve.”
What Made These Windows and Doors So Effective?
We crafted each window and door from Accoya® timber and finished with a micro-porous protective coating. This finish, specially developed in Italy, requires minimal maintenance and delivers excellent durability.
We designed the tilt and turn windows to offer both ventilation and flexibility, while their large glazed areas bring light deep into interior spaces.
This combination of craftsmanship and modern performance meant that the joinery not only looked beautiful but also contributed to the home’s energy efficiency and comfort.
What did the clients think of the results?
Vanessa and Bruce were thrilled with the completed home:
“We are delighted with our new home. Campbell Jackson Architects’ extraordinary design has given life to our original vision in more ways than we could have imagined, and this is made complete by the quality and beauty of the timber windows and doors.”
She added:
“The Gowercroft team went over and above in making sure that no detail was overlooked—both technically and aesthetically—so that their windows and doors were the perfect match for our new home.”
Photographs courtesy of David Grandorge.