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Old Rectory Farm / Alexander Hills Architects
Text description provided by the architect. The initial brief for this farmhouse project on the north Norfolk coast was to convert the stables into level accommodation for the client’s wheelchair-bound father.As we progressed and looked at how it would work with the rest of the building mass, a number of obstacles and issues were discovered, mainly focusing on access, use and vistas, so the project grew to include multiple demolitions, new extensions and a general reorganization of the floor plan.
Our response starts with creating a new access “backbone” around which everything else is organized.we propose Visitors are led directly from the main entrance to the gardens, where views over the Graven Valley and the vast Norfolk sunshine are best enjoyed. We proposed moving the kitchen, originally located in the center of the main house, by converting the stables and adding a spacious new curved roof pavilion. We also reworked the adjacent utility space, unifying the different pavilions through another slight extension. Finally, we created a more harmonious facade for the driveway access and added a small extension to the north.
Overall, these measures focus on creating a more efficient spatial arrangement while maintaining fluidity between entry and exit, extending the interior space from the outside, and increasing the functional versatility of the space. Most importantly, they enable wheelchair users to participate in family life with ease and dignity and to engage in a variety of activities on their own terms.
We intentionally made these two extensions architecturally different. The proposed extension to the utility area is more in keeping with farm workflow, with a solid timber/brick/flint treatment in keeping with the 19th century vernacular style, while the extension to the west is more domestic and private in nature, using rich Rusty zinc-clad roof on wooden columns, with a large sliding window. Viewed through the garden, the now horizontal zinc extension is both purposeful and abstract: a lightweight, contemporary form that introduces ambient light from the skylight and additional active light from the west-facing windows.
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