The Old Piggery

 

Successful barn conversion to satisfy several strict and challenging Planning Policies including the 'CTY4, The Conversion and Reuse of Existing Buildings', 'PPS 21, Sustainable Development in the Countryside'.

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The Old Piggery building is located in rural Toomebridge, Co. Antrim, in close proximity to Anahorish Primary school famed by Seamus Heaney. The Old Piggery building forms a part of a Client's disused farm complex and has a significant appearance in the local landscape. The building sits serenely on a vast site overlooking a grassy paddock.

 

The Client who runs a successful building company has a passion for rejuvenation of disused vernacular and old farm buildings and is currently in a process of converting some of his existing outbuildings into traditional Irish cottages to be soon available as a tourists accommodation, to incorporate his complex into Seamus Heaney Trials. 

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The principle is to promote conservation of the countryside while protecting the rural character and heritage.

The governing principle has been to bring original piggery building back in use with minimal interventions. The original permanent, well build structure of the building will be preserved and contemporary elements introduced with the aim of the highest design principles. Proposed larch cladding helps to blend with the landform and existing landscape, the change from the distance would be unnoticeable and would reinstate the effect of the original dark render elevation. The barn-style shutters can be closed to provide a completely fully clad/even surface. All the existing trees and shrubs are retained.

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The project underlines the importance of rural heritage and new interventions are influenced by the rhythm of existing architectural composition, fenestration and contain numerous references to existing piggery: barn style timber shutters, louvred roof vents. The scale, massing, ridge heigh, eaves height remain the same. The existing building connects harmoniously with the other old farm's buildings and this scheme aims to celebrate this relationship. The Old Piggery is visually linked and sited to cluster with the established group of buildings on the Client's old farm. By converting, the building would be re-integrated with the existing old farm complex.

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Planning Approval granted. Building Control stage.