| Project/Product Description | Architectural Practice Richard Parr Associates (RPA), in close collaboration with owner and designer Karen Roos, has transformed the Farmyard at The Newt in Somerset. The architectural project was completed in March 2021. Richard Parr Associates is not authorised to disclose the cost of this project.
An original farm hamlet comprising nine historical buildings has been converted into 17 hotel room suites along with a restaurant, indoor pool and spa, bar and games room and bike/electric buggy shelter. This 2,000 sq. m site is the latest phase of development on the 800-acre estate that features a Grade II listed Georgian farmhouse, an original threshing barn, cheese barn, stable, granary, cyder press and outbuildings.
Within the Farmyard at The Newt in Somerset, the buildings include:
Shatwell House is an 18th century Grade II listed farmhouse, modest in style, that RPA converted into a series of fresh bright rooms, using a palette of chalky white paints, brass fittings, local stone and oak floors. Variations on this aesthetic have informed the overall design of the Farmhouse and rolled out to each of the nine buildings with different treatments and touches depending on each original building usage. The discovery of original grey-blue paint at the farmhouse has been used as a recurring colour throughout the hall and stairway.
Within the Barns and Agricultural Buildings, RPA created ‘container’ spaces or ‘pods’ with contemporary fittings and elements that contrast with the old walls and structures. Each of these suites features an exposed fireplace and steam pod together with two showers and a bathroom. Here the spaces have a different aesthetic to the farmhouse, with all the rooms featuring a palette of rustic English oak and blue lias stone with black (forged) fittings, boarded shutters and rubble stone walls.
The Old Granary has been reinstated as a new contemporary timber building fashioned from the same palette of local materials but used in a different, more contemporary way. Two suites, set over two floors, have walls clad in horizontal oak panels, with louvered screens set over the windows, providing the opportunity for guests to look out unseen to the rest of the farmstead.
The Communal and Gathering Spaces (partly an original Old Engine Shed and a store), have been rebuilt in a traditional way, using natural materials. The new handcrafted oak barn, now the Pool Barn, with its traditional A-framed oak ceiling, also features a wall of glass set behind circular brick columns, flooding the space with light.
The reinvented Garner Bar building has become a focal point that is integral to the new site. Retaining its original beautiful stone walls with its fine pitched roof, a new exposed tall circular brick chimney is now framed by glazed panels and is the location of a bar, library and games room. The space retains its raw agricultural feel with wooden flooring, exposed stone walls and forged metal bookcases.
The Cyder Press and Stalls are a series of high ceiled stone buildings that RPA has simplified and restored. Vertical painted timber boards feature throughout this space, cladding walls and the staircase, while wide oak floorboards feature in the bedrooms with cobble tiles on the bathroom floors.
Retaining the timber structure, The Stables feature two lateral suites with a pod in the centre of each, avoiding the need to build against any wall. Cobbles on the ground floor in what were once the stables have been retained, with brick stone flooring elsewhere, while marble trough sinks are a play on the building’s original usage. Upstairs exposed timber beams and painted horizontal timber boards provide height and drama to the space.
The restored Threshing Barn, with its traditional oak trussed ceiling and exposed wooden beams, houses a reception, games room and restaurant for 36 covers. The addition of new floor to ceiling screen doors infuses the space with light. The restaurant also features a key artwork, a 19th century engraving of Farmyard Poultry that Karen Roos found locally, and Richard Parr had blown up and applied to ceramic tiles to make a major feature in the space.
At the top of the site is The Shelter, a wind-swept contemporary horseshoe shaped shelter, with an internal structure that features Douglas Fir laminated trusses and beams clad in an oak shake roof that flows organically into the façade. This bulbous shape single storey semi-open structure houses bicycles and buggies that can be used by guests for easy access to The Newt’s main hotel and cycling through the ancient woodland.
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| Materials Used | The concept at the farmyard selects a series of materials, reducing the palette but amplifying the use and application into multiple textures and finishes. Oak, local stone and plaster. The application of materials emphasises both the uniqueness and hierarchy of the spaces and buildings.
The practice sensitively restored the collection of farm buildings with a light touch in order to facilitate an appreciation of the Farmyard’s natural surroundings combined with all the comforts of modern living. Drawing inspiration from the local English landscape and vernacular, RPA’s sophisticated, pared-back design uses a limited pallet of English stones (honey hued Hadspen stone from the nearby quarry, blue lias stone, Cornish slate and forest marble limestone), oak timber, glass, marble and plaster in order to reinstate the original spirit of the nine buildings. Low build miles and the use of local artisans and craftsmen were key.
The project features many surface details inspired by the former use of the sensitively repurposed buildings, including the specification of marble trough sinks in The Stables building, and the steel rails that echo the Cheese Barn’s historic purpose.
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| Sustainability | The Farmyard at The Newt in Somerset demonstrates an unwavering commitment to environmental responsibility and innovative green building practices. The project focuses on adaptive reuse, energy efficiency, and the incorporation of recycled materials, and exemplifies the fusion of historical preservation and modern sustainability.
At the heart of this project lies in the adaptive reuse of nine historic farm buildings, including a Grade II-listed Georgian farmhouse. This approach not only preserves the historical fabric of the site but also significantly reduces the embodied energy and resources otherwise required for new construction. By repurposing these structures, the project showcases the remarkable potential for sustainability through the preservation of historical heritage.
Energy efficiency is a fundamental principle of The Farmyard's design. Cutting-edge building management systems optimize heating, cooling, lighting, and ventilation, resulting in reduced energy consumption and operational costs while ensuring a comfortable environment for occupants. The project further advances energy efficiency through the extensive use of LED technology, selected for energy efficiency and longer lifespan.
The commitment to sustainability extends to material choices. The project thoughtfully incorporates recycled materials, including stone, slabs, and found artefacts. This practice not only diverts materials from landfills but also imbues the project with a unique character, celebrating the history and heritage of the estate.
The project's sustainable ethos is further demonstrated through its dedication to local sourcing and sustainable craftsmanship. Engaging local trades, materials, and artisans whenever possible minimises transportation emissions, supports the regional economy, and reduces the project's carbon footprint. Local craftsmen employ traditional green oak frames and jointing methods, showcasing a commitment to sustainable construction practices. Additionally, the use of eco-friendly materials such as local timber, Hadspen stone, blue lias stone, Cornish slate, and forest marble limestone, complements the project's responsible building approach.
To maintain the historical authenticity of the estate while enhancing energy efficiency, the project incorporates innovative design elements, including frameless and transparent glass features and pure, transparent glass boxes. These design choices minimise visual disruption while emphasising the sustainability of the construction.
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| Issues Faced | There are intrinsic challenges to using relatively untested material, peculiar to the immediate locality of the project. Many of the materials we specified were used for stone walling and paving, so it was important to elevate it for more refined uses. The surfaces in this project needed to be capable of resisting constant use 360 days a year. Hotel use, in particular, requires resistance to misuse, constant cleaning and cleaning fluids, exacting health and safety standards and the need to look perfect.
In the case of oak timber, the issues included the need to combat all of the above plus the added vulnerability of high humidity in the pool barn, heat from the wood fired oven kitchen in the Threshing Barn restaurant, wear and spillages in the garner bar and high use in bedrooms and bathrooms. We wanted to achieve a rustic, natural and unfinished look, without visible sealants and varnishes, and importantly, a consistency in all differing conditions.
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