Awarded Home of the Year by The Telegraph in 2020, this innovative remodelling of a former blacksmithing forge occupies a quiet location in the village of Whixall, North Shropshire. Contextually driven, the architectural design by Studiobloc takes its cue from the historical context of the site and the surrounding agricultural vernacular, pairing the original brick walls of the Grade II-listed barn with a modern, corrugated steel façade. Beautifully light living space of over 1,045 sq ft flows across a single storey, connecting to courtyard gardens at the front and back. The location offers easy access to the surrounding open countryside, including The Peak District and Snowdonia, and the cultural highlights of Liverpool, Birmingham and Manchester.

The Architect

Studiobloc is an award-winning architectural design practice founded in 2014 by Philip Handley. Working under architect Rem Koolhaas at the Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA), Handley contributed to several large-scale projects, including the Lab City Centrale Supélec, Paris and Bibliothèque Alexis de Tocqueville in Caen, France, and more recently International projects at Ministry of Design, Singapore.

This particular project was awarded The Daily Telegraph’s Home of the Year and Best Renovation in 2020, a prestigious Homebuilding & Renovating award that celebrates outstanding projects across the UK.

The Tour

Stanley Green lies at the heart of a rural hamlet, and the house is approached via a quiet country lane, where the striking façade stitches together the rich patina of the old and new. In a nod to the building’s former use, a ripple of corrugated steel forms a dark silhouette against the original brickwork, a ‘shadow’ of the original 19th-century barn.

Wherever possible, the barn’s foundations were painstakingly conserved. Thick timber trusses bear the blacksmith’s markings, and the external brick wall has been retained to create a broken-plan layout. New additions, such as the roof, the concrete flooring underfoot and the copious amounts of insulation, were approached with great sensitivity to the bones of the original building.

A private driveway lies to one side of the home, with off-street parking for two vehicles. The entrance, positioned on the northerly façade, leads into the central barn section housing the main living areas. The interior layout is adaptable yet practical and follows a clean and simple aesthetic. Internal window openings allow an excellent quality of natural light to enter the central plan while visually connecting the existing and extended parts. A modern log burner creates a cosy focal point in colder months.

Dining and cooking areas are arranged on the south-westerly side of the home, making wonderful use of the spaces that attract the most sunlight, with folding glass doors opening directly onto a large decked terrace. Clean lines of cabinetry house appliances and provide plenty of space for food preparation and pantry storage.

There are three en suite bedrooms, and each offers a quiet, restful retreat. The main bedroom suite is in the extended section, where a deep bathtub sits on a raised platform.

Outdoor Space

Externally there is a front and back garden. The rear decked terrace is the best spot to enjoy a morning coffee, with lines of bamboo screening the boundary for privacy and a ribbon of water dividing the lawn and the decking.

The Area 

Whixall is a charming rural village in north Shropshire. It has a six-acre local nature reserve and a canal which runs through the parish. There is a wide network of walking routes directly from the house, and for hikes and trails, Snowdonia and The Peak District are an hour by car to the east and the west.

For daily amenities, Whitchurch and Wem are nearby and have a good selection of shops, schools, pubs and restaurants. For a broader selection, Shrewsbury, Chester, Wrexham and Wolverhampton can all be easily reached by car. Further afield, Liverpool and Manchester are around 50 miles north, and Birmingham is around the same distance to the southeast.

The train stations at Prees and Whitchurch connect directly to Manchester, and services from Whitchurch connect to London (via a change at Crewe) in around two hours and 15 minutes and from Prees in around two hours and 25 minutes.

Council Tax Band: C 

Please note that all areas, measurements and distances given in these particulars are approximate and rounded. The text, photographs and floor plans are for general guidance only. The Modern House has not tested any services, appliances or specific fittings — prospective purchasers are advised to inspect the property themselves. All fixtures, fittings and furniture not specifically itemised within these particulars are deemed removable by the vendor.