AJ Small Projects Sustainability Win
Black Barn Studios Wins AJ Small Project Sustainability Award
We were thrilled when our Black Barn Studios project was shortlisted in the Architect’s Journal Small Projects Awards. It was up against some strong contenders, but we are proud to announce the development, designed by Charlie Luxton Design, won the AJ’s first Sustainability Award!
Black Barn Studios are Charlie Luxton Design’s stunning new offices, set within the North Oxfordshire countryside. The development saw a steel-framed barn repurposed. The existing structural elements were reused including the concrete block walls, floor slab and frame.
Bespoke Timber Frame Structure Engineers
SOLID were appointed to design the internal bespoke timber frame structure. The self-supporting timber-framed I-beam structure was erected inside the steel frame, a process which took just five days. It was then clad using black corrugated metal and larch and installed with blown wood-fibre insulation. Wood-fibre insulation is both breathable and a carbon neutral product.
The aim of the design was to create a structure that was energy efficient with Passivhaus levels of insulation, high-performance triple glazing, electric car chargers and MVHR. An integral part of the project has been to re-wild the plot and create a bio-diverse environment. The team has planted more than 700 native trees and shrubs and over 2000m2 of wildflower meadows. This will also help to absorb the carbon dioxide emitted during the construction process.
Sustainability and the AJ Awards
During the AJ Small Project’s 28-year-history, this is the first time sustainability awards have been presented. The awards were presented to The Boathouse, by Ashworth Parkes Architects and Black Barn Studios. The judges commented “Both were determined as strong contenders for the lessons that can be learnt from environmentally sustainable design, including the importance of data tracking it, as well as construction and materiality.”
Of the Awards the AJ Small Projects editor, Emily Booth, states “AJ Small Projects is a joyous celebration of big ideas realised on a small budget.” She goes on to say, “There’s something so pleasing about the creative ingenuity required to realise substantial aims with low-cost design.”
Read more about the project in our past case study here. You can also find Black Barn Studios in the AJ Building library here and in Volume 250/Issue 04 of the AJ Small Projects magazine (pictured).