Although this project involved working within an existing envelope, the transformation is a radical one that pushes at the limits of what is covered by conventional definitions of remodeling. A complex of eighteenth-century barns is transformed into a series of residential spaces in which the refinement of the newly inserted elements, full-height glass walls and low white plaster partitions contrasts with the intricate configuration of the original timber frame. Rather than cut inappropriate openings into old walls, the interior is lit by large-scale sheets of glass which sit directly on the ground and make the original pitched roofs appear to float. Tilty Barn, Essex, England 1994-1995. Photo Fi McGhee. John Pawson
