Jankes Barn Essex, Joanne Bernstein

Nestled in a hamlet near the Essex-Suffolk border, Jankes Barn is a beautifully converted Grade II listed Threshing Barn, transformed into a home by Lynch Architects. The project's objective was to preserve the barn's agricultural character and atmosphere with minimal changes to the existing structures, both inside and out, ensuring the original volumes of each space remained intact.

To highlight the 18th-century oak frame, a limited palette of natural materials was chosen, including birch plywood, oak window and door frames, clay quarry tiles for the internal floors, and clay pavers for the exterior.

A labour of love for the client and landscape designer, Joanne Bernstein designed the gardens from the outset as integral to the architecture and site. Centred on the huge barn doors is a square pool that reflects the big East Anglian sky. A perennial meadow forms a colourful but informal planting mass to complement the cereal crops in the adjacent fields. Furniture was also chosen for its simple forms, introducing softness and comfort where needed while maintaining a level of sparseness to avoid over-domesticating what was an agricultural building.

Viaduct assisted with the supply and delivery of furniture and lighting. Designs from manufacturers include e15, Bensen, Montis, Hay and Anour.

Joanne Bernstein is a landscape designer based in North London, whose work is informed by the history of art and architecture and her love or landscape and plants. Find out more about her projects here.