Dunscar Fold originally comprised of a Grade II listed 17^th Century Farmhouse, a substantial stone barn, cottages, dairy and an abandoned steel framed barn. The majority of which were beyond salvage and restoration.

As a result of similar projects we had successfully completed, we were appointed as Architects for the total restoration and redevelopment of the site.

Where possible the retention of existing buildings was integral to maintaining and enhancing the charm and scale of the hamlet. Nevertheless, some properties were beyond this, particularly the dairy and the steel framed structure.

The Grade II Listed farmhouse was the established focal point of the grouping. It was however impractical and uneconomical to simply upgrade the fabric of the building and consequently it was decided that in order to make the building an attractive residence it would need to be extended.

The Planning Authority were receptive to our proposals to remove the steel framed structure and construct a stone-built structure of a similar size, which would result in the creation of two dwellings. The replacement of the old dairy was sanctioned by the Council due to several structural problems particularly with the sub-structure.

In each case these buildings made a strong contribution to the whole of the development and were significant in terms of townscape and urban design in that they contributed to the enclosure of the space and creating a strong sense of place. Maintaining a consistent design principal of simplicity and rudimentary form was a key consideration that proved extremely successful.

Dunscar Fold gained acclaim as a sensitively designed residential conversion that won several awards and distinctions for the use of material, scale and sense of place. This project would lead to our involvement in similar projects across the North of England, in total the completed development consisted of eight dwellings, each with distinct identity yet contributing to the whole whilst maintaining privacy and amenity space for all residents.