{"id":770519,"date":"2025-01-20T08:00:40","date_gmt":"2025-01-20T08:00:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/?p=770519"},"modified":"2025-01-20T12:03:37","modified_gmt":"2025-01-20T12:03:37","slug":"retrofirst-stories-how-tom-turner-farm","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/news\/retrofirst-stories-how-tom-turner-farm","title":{"rendered":"RetroFirst stories: Tom Turner on why a revamp trumped demolition in Sussex"},"content":{"rendered":"

With up to 40 per cent of carbon emissions coming from the construction industry, the profession needs to find ways of adapting the type of buildings it designs, and fast. The default option for any project should be to adapt and re-use an existing building, one of the key demands of the AJ\u2019s\u00a0RetroFirst campaign<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Our ongoing series seeks to celebrate the projects that save buildings from demolition or give them a brand new life.<\/em><\/p>\n

Tell us about the project
\n<\/strong>Harbour Farm is a historic farmstead located in Bosham, Sussex. The approved project combines preservation of the site\u2019s historical elements \u2013 some thought to date back to the 16th century \u2013 with enhancements to create an elegant, modern family home in this picturesque harbour setting.<\/p>\n

\"\"The plans involve several sensitive changes to the main house and surrounding outbuildings. Some modern extensions will be removed to reveal the original architectural elements of the farmhouse. Awkward and unsympathetic additions obscure the historic core.<\/p>\n

Additional changes include the transformation of outbuildings into a pool house, art studio and gym barn, with new landscaping that aligns with the farm\u2019s traditional courtyard layout.<\/p>\n

The design incorporates a number of sustainable elements, in line with the Chichester Harbour Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) guidelines. These include energy-efficient materials, solar panels and a redesigned lighting plan to minimise light pollution. Native planting and mature trees will provide natural screening for privacy and ensure minimal impact on views from surrounding areas, including the Dell Quay Conservation Area.<\/p>\n

What are the challenges of the existing building?
\n<\/strong>Foremost, its key interior spaces do not make the most of the stunning views of the harbour \u2013 a missed opportunity to connect with the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Awkward and unsympathetic modern additions obscure the historic core, making it difficult to read the building\u2019s original plan form and architectural intent. Compounding these issues are low ceiling heights, which create a sense of confinement and limit the building\u2019s functionality.<\/p>\n

Was demolition considered?
\n<\/strong>Yes. We took over the project from previous architects, who were proposing to demolish the existing house and entirely rebuild. After speaking to the Harbour Conservancy, the clients moved away from this and recalled a discussion they had with us prior to engaging the other architects, when we had suggested retaining the existing house.<\/p>\n

Previous plans proposed demolishing the existing house<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Although not listed, our opinion was that it had heritage value, which together with the more sustainable approach of retrofit first made it clear that the existing house should be retained.<\/p>\n

Aside from retaining the original fabric, what other aspects of your proposals reduce the whole-life carbon impact of the project?<\/strong><\/p>\n

We saw an opportunity to remove modern plaster, paint and render from the historic core and replace them with breathable insulation and then re-render with breathable materials. This will improve some of the existing damp issues as well as upgrading the thermal envelope to make the house suitable to be heated with a heat pump.<\/p>\n

Did the sensitivities of the AONB influence what was retained?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Harbour Conservancy guidance requires not increasing the silhouette by more than 25 per cent over the existing, or the footprint by more than 50 per cent over the \u2018original\u2019 (277.5m\u00b2).<\/p>\n

While our proposals (306m\u00b2) pushed the boundaries of this guidance, the planners judged the impact to be acceptable, due to the high design quality. The retention of the existing house and outbuildings was welcomed by the conservation officer.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Is your approach to retrofit and the way you talk about it with clients changing, given the increased focus on the climate emergency?
\n<\/strong>We\u2019ve noticed in recent years that clients are becoming more accepting of changing heating systems from gas or oil to heat pumps.<\/p>\n

With historic properties we see this going hand-in-hand with heritage conservation principles, such as removing modern materials and replacing them with breathable insulation and finishes.<\/p>\n

0% VAT on new build is a significant stumbling block<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This can be very expensive, so the fact that there are two reasons for doing it helps. A thermal upgrade allows use of a heat pump and helps to address the climate emergency, while breathable materials improve the conservation of the historic fabric. Either of those reasons alone might not be enough to convince clients to spend the money. Zero-rated VAT on new build remains a significant stumbling block.<\/p>\n

In the past we might have been guilty of thinking about retrofit as architecturally less interesting than new build. Having a better understanding of the environmental benefits of retrofit has partially changed our attitude to this but it has gone hand-in-hand with a better understanding of, and a deeper interest in the historic environment.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve been fortunate enough to work on a number of listed buildings and, like anything, the more you know about a specific subject area, the more interesting it becomes. Architects such as Julian Harrap have been influential in encouraging us to listen to the voice of architects and builders who are long deceased and to enjoy a temporally layered architecture.<\/p>\n

Our work on old buildings is changing how we design new ones<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

We find that our clients become more engaged when we talk about the different atmospheres that existing structures can provide, which can be hard to recreate with new build. To have a house that has different atmospheres for different activities and moods is a wonderful thing.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not difficult to find clients who enjoy the historic environment. We have found it to be a strong selling point to communicate a shared interest and show ways that relatively minor changes make older properties enjoyable for contemporary living. What\u2019s interesting is how our experience of working with old buildings is increasingly changing our approach to designing new ones.<\/p>\n

\n

\u00a0<\/span>\"\"<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

With up to 40 per cent of carbon emissions coming from the construction industry, the profession needs to find ways of adapting the type of buildings it designs, and fast. The default option for any project should be to adapt and re-use an existing building, one of the key demands of the AJ\u2019s\u00a0RetroFirst campaign. Our …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":915,"featured_media":770655,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_oasis_is_in_workflow":0,"_oasis_original":0,"ep_exclude_from_search":false},"categories":[681],"tags":[6275,6095,5950,6196,101470],"yoast_head":"\nRetroFirst stories: Tom Turner on why a revamp trumped demolition in Sussex<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Tom Turner of Tom Turner Architects on his recently approved plans to retrofit an historic farmstead overlooking Chichester Harbour \u2013 a house once set to be demolished and replaced\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/news\/retrofirst-stories-how-tom-turner-farm\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta 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