The Lime House, Perranporth, Cornwall

Our brief for this project was to modify and extend a cob built detached farmhouse, which was located in a beautiful area of farmland overlooking the sea.

Over time the property had undergone years of misuse and was currently in the style of a 1970’s urban dwelling. Our client instructed us to create an eco-farmhouse style dwelling using sustainable and natural materials, whilst retaining its remaining historical features.

Traditional building techniques were used to repair the cob and the walls were rendered with hemp and lime which allows the cob to breathe as it should. The floors were dug up and relaid with maximum insulation. The roof was insulated with natural and recycled materials. The external appearance of the dwelling now has more balanced proportions with the existing oversized UPVC windows being replaced with timber sash windows.

The original part of the dwelling was retained, together with all of its unique features including the clome oven. The northern elevation was enhanced by adding a new balcony and terraced area accessed from bi–fold doors enabling a fresh interaction between the inside and the outside whilst maximising the spectacular coastal views.

The removal of a bedroom also enabled the addition of a passive ventilation stack for the whole dwelling through a newly created vaulted inner hall area and new roof lights at the ridge. A wood pellet system and solar panels were installed for the heating and hot water.

The result was a more coherent layout with the changes offering flexibility for contemporary family living, but also reinstates the property with a character fitting for its rural location.

The Lime House, Perranporth, Cornwall

Building features