The Cowshed: Navigating the RIBA Awards Process / Design Storey
Shortlisted for the RIBA Awards, The Cowshed designed by Design Storey (Oxford) is a carefully considered conversion of a historic Cotswolds barn into a two-bedroom home. The awards process has been both detailed and demanding—from assembling a strong submission that highlights the project’s design, sustainability, and technical approach to preparing for the in-person judging. With a focus on conservation and innovation, the team has had to articulate not just the final outcome but the challenges, problem-solving, and craftsmanship behind the project. The recognition so far reinforces the value of small-scale projects that balance heritage with contemporary needs.
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Can you tell us about The Cowshed. How did the project come about and what are its main design, sustainability and heritage features?
The Cowshed is the conversion of a historic listed barn, located in the Cotswolds, into a two-bedroomed home. ‘The Cowshed’ is a sensitive conversion of a historic listed barn, located in the Cotswolds, into a two bedroomed dwelling.
The clients purchased the barn with an extant consent however the scheme didn’t make the best use of space or celebrate the unique qualities of the building. They approached design storey to explore a new design blending contemporary and historic features.
There were several constraints which included the listed status of the building, multiple level changes and the compact nature of the building. The design approach was conservation-led and collaborative; both sides of the barn were united by inserting a timber pod into the building housing a new staircase, mitigating a level change and acting as a divider between the bedrooms and bathrooms.
Other design features include the retention of the original timber cladding to the outside of the building. An innovative approach was taken to the reuse of the building’s timber structure, at some point in the barn’s history the eaves line along the front had been lowered, causing the primary roof trusses to be tilted at a dramatic angle.
The structural engineer suggested a strategy to return the roof trusses to their historic location, by realigning the roof structure and raising the eaves to their former height, then supporting the posts by reinstating the padstones. It was proposed to “lift” the roof into its original position; this provided an interesting construction challenge and enabled complete reuse with minimum intervention. A time-lapse video documenting the truss re-alignment ensured compliance with planning conditions.
Key sustainable features included the retention of the entire timber structure, reuse of material including the historic padstones, repair of the timber structure and introduction of natural materials such as lime plaster and sheepswool insulation.
What award are you going for? and what made you want to apply for it?
We applied for the Royal Institution of British Architects awards which celebrate the best new architecture throughout the country. To win such a prestigious award will be a real testament to the fact that even small projects can punch above their weight and to celebrate the care and attention to detail that went into the project from the whole team (the contractor, engineer and client).
The project is now at shortlisted stage. How do you prepare for the in person judging?
We have prepared a short 5 minute presentation to tell the story of the design, the construction and also we have the client there to speak to the success of the final building from their perspective.
What guidance would you give to other practices going for this type of award?
We feel that having a strong story is really important, drawing out the design story and anything unusual or innovative is important. Sustainability is also a key requirement.