Architecture Wednesday: Bramley Barn

This newly built Dutch barn-style house is set in a rural area in the Somerset countryside, between Glastonbury and Castle Cary. Completed in 2024, the house was been designed with sustainable solutions in mind. High-specification insulation, an air source heat pump and underfloor heating were all added to create a climate-conscious, energy-efficient home with a minimal carbon footprint.

The house is approached via a shared private driveway from the main road. The glazed double doors at the front entrance sit in a larch-clad recess, contrasting with the expanse of black powder-coated corrugated steel on the main elevations.

The interior extends to just under 2,500 square feet in an upside-down arrangement. You enter into a light-filled double-height entrance hall, where a steel staircase with oak treads rises to the first floor to the open-plan kitchen—with high-quality cabinetry, quartz worktops, integrated Miele appliances and a breakfast bar—with the dining and living spaces extending the full length of the house with arched ceilings exposing the structural steel frame. The outer walls are lined with sliding glass doors offering views to the fields and meadows beyond. On one side of the room is the powder room and a concealed storage area while at the far end, sliding doors open out to a raised terrace with steps leading down to the garden

On the ground floor, a central hallway provides access to four generous bedrooms and a separate living room, or snug, all with direct access to the garden via fully glazed double doors. In the far corner, the primary suite has dual windows, a vaulted ceiling and ample wardrobe space. It is also served by a tiled en suite with double basin vanity unit and walk-in shower. The adjacent bedroom also has an en suite shower room, and the remaining bedrooms are served by a bathroom and additional WC on either side of the entrance hall.

The house is set within grounds of approximately a third of an acre. To the front, there is an extensive graveled area for parking and space for a double garage. Adjacent is another graveled area, landscaped with raised evergreen beds. A generous lawn wraps around the rear, bordered by post and rail stock fencing and native species hedging that provides a natural boundary before the seemingly endless green fields beyond.

Peaceful and serene and a barn house!

As always, click to emBIGGERate …

The Modern House