Roof windows light up a highly unusual conversion of a former silage barn, now a fully breathable timber-framed home commended in the 2025 Daylight from Above Awards, organised by RIBAJ in partnership with VELUX
‘It’s a really good example of repurposing done in a quite engaging way,’ said judge Gianni Botsford of House in a Barn, a highly unusual conversion of a former silage barn in West Oxfordshire that has been commended in the Light, Space and Atmosphere category of the 2025 Daylight from Above Awards, organised by RIBAJ in partnership with VELUX.
Designed by Artel 31, it creates a fully breathable timber-framed home within the steel portal frame of the original structure, from which materials have been salvaged as part of the cladding. The result preserves the barn’s character, incorporating the new-build accommodation and sheltered adjacent amenities outside the home’s thermal environment.
The architects used Passivhaus software, natural light modelling, and wind studies to determine window sizes and orientations, so as to allow natural light penetration and optimise climate resilience.
VELUX roof windows light the master suite (where the old barn roof was removed) and the first-floor core below the existing rooflight in the original barn roof. As well as providing ventilation and light, the electric VELUX windows have smart closers and blinds for inhabitants’ safety and comfort.
A multilayered polycarbonate wall along the main access corridor provides excellent insulation and lets natural light in. This facade, noted judge Percy Weston, was particularly interesting. The project uses an air-source heat pump for energy-efficient heating, photovoltaic panels, mechanical ventilation with heat recovery and biodiverse landscaping.
See all winners and commended entries in the 2025 Daylight from Above Awards