Holmingham Farmhouse

Works began with the refurbishment and retrofit of an existing studio/office space within a traditional stone barn. This formed a valuable test in materiality and process for the farmhouse. Highlights of the work undertaken include the large 'frameless' window to the south, utilising the minimal depth and thermal performance of vacuum glass, the 40mm oak floorboards which are visible above and below the mezzanine, and the large stone found in the quarry on the site, which now forms the hearth for the log burner. We also worked closely with local craftspeople to create a bespoke oak and steel staircase, bannister and handrail with a natural wax finish: a key feature of the space and a precedent for the approach and materiality to be taken into the farmhouse.

Holmingham Farmhouse is not a listed building, but its age, character and contribution to the local vernacular mean it is treated as a non-designated heritage asset, under both national policy (NPPF Chapter 16) and the Mid Devon Local Plan (Policy DM27). With a traditional stone longhouse at its core, the farmhouse had accumulated a series of disjointed, poorly-constructed twentieth-century extensions: bay windows so degraded that both principal rooms behind them were suffering water ingress, and a fragmented roofscape troubled by long-standing valley gutter problems. 

The legacy C20th extensions containing hall, staircase, and rear cloakrooms are removed to make way for a new curving extension housing a new library. Clerestory glazing provides a welcoming lantern and its sweeping stone wall guides visitors along the driveway toward the main entrance. The exterior materials palette combines full-height glazing, timber posts and cladding, and a zinc roof. Inside, engineered timber floorboards lay over underfloor heating, while the library’s exposed stone walls feature full-height shelving crafted from Ash harvested on site, complete with integrated seating nooks and display niches for artwork.

Site-sourced timber forms a central thematic thread across the entire project. The client is utilising wood grown directly on the farm for structural elements like exposed rafters, as well as bespoke feature joinery, integrated benches, custom shelving, and flooring. This practice honors traditional, hyper-local building techniques, establishes a cohesive and deeply personal aesthetic, and locks in stored carbon as a direct reflection of circular design principles. Processing the timber on site also significantly curtails embodied carbon and transport-related emissions while celebrating the site's rich natural heritage and the talents of local craftspeople.

The failing bay windows to the south elevation are removed entirely and replaced with new contemporary glazed bays set within an extended pergola structure, echoing the timber-and-glass language of the new library and porch while providing solar shading to the terrace and the dining and living rooms behind. Inside, engineered oak floors again run over underfloor heating, with timber-and-glass walls incorporating integrated window seats beneath exposed timber rafters. 

At first floor, the existing gable end over the master bedroom is extended over the old balcony, reconciling the roof form externally and providing shading to allow a highly glazed south wall that maximises light and views without overheating the bedroom.

Whole-house sustainability and energy efficiency are core brief requirements, and the project is designed EnerPHit performance standards, the Passivhaus standard for retrofit, with a robust fabric-first approach throughout. New or improved ground floors are being installed across the whole house, and every wall is being internally lined with a breathable build-up of insulating lime render, wood fibre insulation boards and lime plaster, preserving the masonry's ability to breathe while dramatically improving its thermal performance. A whole-house MVHR system ensures good air quality without heat loss, while high thermal mass from the new floors and the existing masonry helps keep the house temperature stable through the seasons. Targeting Net Zero, the existing concrete tile roof is being replaced with natural slate and an extensive array of roof-integrated solar panels. Beyond the house, an EV charging point, a wider farm-scale solar PV array with battery storage, air source heat pumps and rainwater harvesting for use in the garden, complete the sustainability strategy across the site.

A bat survey confirmed the farmhouse as an active roost for five species - soprano pipistrelle (a satellite maternity roost around the north and west gables), lesser horseshoe, common pipistrelle, whiskered myotis and brown long-eared - making the building of district-level ecological importance. Because the works disturb confirmed roosts, a European Protected Species mitigation licence is required from Natural England, with destructive roof work timed outside the May-to-September bat maternity season so the colony can rely on a nearby secondary roost. A licensed ecologist has overseen every stage of the roof's careful "soft-strip", on hand to safely capture any bats found, and the roofs have been redesigned to recreate every roost identified, including a dedicated bat loft for the lesser horseshoe colony and multiple new access points - bat slates, ridge tile access and gable top access - while a new external lighting scheme is designed to avoid any light spill onto roost entrances and flight paths. Bat boxes, bird boxes and bee bricks add further habitat, and this on-site work sits within the client's much larger ambition for the estate: nature recovery, rewilding, new orchards, new woodland and wildflower meadows, delivering a substantial net gain in biodiversity across the whole farm.