The Tin Barn Gets Shortlisted for RIBA South West & Wessex Awards 2025!
We are thrilled to announce that The Tin Barn has been shortlisted for the RIBA South West & Wessex Awards 2025! This is a testament to the dedication and innovation that has driven this project - a deep retrofit that transforms a set of dilapidated barns into a low-energy, highly sustainable home.
Photography: Ellen Christina Hancock
A Project Rooted in Sustainability
The Tin Barn epitomises a commitment to reducing embodied carbon through careful material choices, adaptive reuse, and a rigorous fabric-first approach. Achieving EnerPHit certification, this project demonstrates how existing buildings can be repurposed into high-performance, comfortable homes without compromising architectural quality or environmental responsibility. The client's ambition for a truly sustainable home was at the heart of the project, guiding decisions on materials, energy efficiency, and long-term resilience.
By prioritising low environmental impact materials such as recycled and reclaimed resources, recycled cellulose insulation, and locally sourced products, the project incorporated substantial bio-based materials such as timber that absorb CO₂ during their growth, effectively reducing the building's carbon footprint.
Adaptive reuse was a key consideration throughout the project. The existing steel structure of the tin barn was integrated with a new timber frame, minimising the need for new materials and preserving the site's historical significance. Salvaged materials, such as stone from fallen dry-stone walls and larch cladding offcuts, were meticulously reused, reducing waste and conserving resources.
Implementing a high-performing building fabric and airtight construction significantly reduced operational energy demand while enhancing indoor comfort and air quality. The building's embodied carbon footprint stands at an impressively low 347 kg CO₂e/m² GIA, nearly half the RIBA 2030 target of 600 kg CO₂e/m² GIA.
Photography: Ellen Christina Hancock
A Recognition of Collaborative Effort
This shortlisting demonstrates and celebrates what can be achieved by collaboration. The Tin Barn was a collaborative effort by the client, CRD, Build Collective, Delta Q, Mead Consulting, Hydrock , Adams Fletcher and Partners, Parnosa and 21 Degrees. The combined expertise of the design and construction teams was instrumental in realising a project that balances heritage with innovation, proving that sustainable retrofits can be both functional and beautiful.
We are incredibly proud to see The Tin Barn stand among an inspiring selection of projects in the region. The winners will be announced in just a few months, and we look forward to sharing more as the awards progress. Regardless of the outcome, this shortlisting reinforces that existing buildings hold immense potential for the future of sustainable architecture.
Thank you to everyone involved in making this project a success, and congratulations to all the other shortlisted projects!
For more insights into the sustainable strategies employed in The Tin Barn project, please take a look at our case study on embodied carbon considerations.