Kitebrook - The Thatch
Preparatory School (Near Abingdon)
“The Thatch” is a farmstead comprising a small farmhouse and barn located in the picturesque Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The property is in a rundown and uninhabitable condition, and ironically no longer features a thatched roof. The buildings are currently utilized as storage and outbuildings for a Preparatory School. The brief sought to convert the property into a new music department, and therefore OFA’s task was to maximise the potential of the existing structures. The farmhouse will undergo extensive renovation to create a number of rehearsal rooms and staff facilities.
Meanwhile, a new building will replace the dilapidated barn, using the barn typology as a design inspiration to create a small, multi-use rehearsal space. The resulting addition to the school facilities is striking, with the barn appearing as a traditional farm building from the road, but transforming into a contemporary interpretation of a barn from other vantage points. The design maximizes natural light and offers views across the playing fields, making it a little gem in an otherwise challenging environment.
