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A former parchment factory in Northamptonshire in the UK has been transformed by Will Gamble Architects into an exquisite home that cleverly knits together a modern intervention with a distinctive ruinous structure. The existing property is a Grade II heritage-listed Victorian house which has been renovated and extended to combine a cattle shed and the remains of the parchment factory.

According to the architects, “the client’s initial brief was to convert the cattle shed and demolish the ruin to make way for a new extension. From the beginning of the design process, it was clear that the client viewed the ruin as a constraint as opposed to a positive asset that could, in fact, be celebrated through a sensitive but well-conceived intervention.”

Thankfully, Will Gamble Architects saved the ruins from demolition and turned them into a feature that contributes to the innate character of the home. They proposed “a building within a building – where two lightweight volumes could be delicately inserted within the masonry walls in order to preserve and celebrate it,” they explain. One half of the ruin accommodates the kitchen, living and dining areas while the other half encloses part of the tiered courtyard.

Corten steel, glass, oak and reclaimed brick comprise the simple and robust material palette. The judicious use of materials both internally and externally means that the original features of the home are accentuated.

The architects also reference the site’s history and acknowledge its rural context. “The extension was built from up-cycled materials predominantly found on site which was both cost-effective and sustainable, whilst allowing the proposal to sensitively blend into its surroundings,” describes the design team.

In the Parchment Works House, contemporary insertions and interventions are clearly delineated from the historic bones. Painted wood and steel beams in the living area mark the departure from the former cattle shed with its dark and exposed wooden beams. The contemporary kitchen designed by the architects is altogether linear, sleek and brooding. It juxtaposes with the surrounding rough stone and textural timber. Existing stone walls were washed in lime to create a mottled effect while white-washed oak floors help to connect the entire space.

I run the risk of waxing lyrical about the importance of architects but there is no clearer case than The Parchment Works House.

Will Gamble Architects saw incredible potential in the centuries-old ruin when it was initially perceived as a hindrance. This embrace of the past became the driving force behind the entire scheme, and you could say that in this instance, ‘one man’s ruin is another man’s treasure!’

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