The Old Vicarage, Rendham is a handsome Regency flat fronted villa built in c.1820 which has recently been restored. The house was surrounded by a motley collection of outbuildings and barns with confused styles and levels. The new Design has reused and integrated the existing buildings to the main house via a courtyard but also as an independent photographic offices, gallery and studio that is fully accessible from multiple entrances.

This was achieved with a new lightweight building that connects the various spaces turning external windows into internal open frames and utilising a glazed clear-storey throughout successfully disconnects the new roof from the existing garden walls and provides a very modern light filled space which clearly celebrates the limited palette of materials.

The new design is sensitive to the original features, the laminated timber post and beam structure touches very lightly on the existing buildings and form and as a result, the enclosure looks as if it has been inserted in place around the existing form and, likewise, could just as easily be removed.

New internal spaces have retained the existing external finishes so that the character and layered history of the existing building fabric is retained and celebrated to maintain the courtyard ambience.

Best practice sustainable construction materials and designs are incorporated throughout. A site-wide Materials Use and Purchasing Strategy covered all construction activities. This includes specification clauses and targets for all the designers, contractors and suppliers.