Rebuilding with Reclaimed Materials

"No one can ever tell just by looking that this is a brand new house. They all think it’s a period renovation,” says John McKinley, “and that’s what gives me the greatest pleasure, because it was always my intention to make this feel like a traditional old farmhouse; never a new build.”

When John first purchased Ivy Cottage in Dromore, a small market town in the Lagan Valley of County Down, Northern Ireland, it had been derelict for almost 50 years and was in a terrible state. The single storey house had recently been used by a farmer for storing potatoes and was beyond economic repair, and the neighbouring stone barn and various outbuildings were also in extremely poor condition.

“My family home is just a mile up the road, so I’d been aware of this farm all my life, even though it wasn’t visible from the lane because of all the weeds and brambles,” says John. “So when I heard that the farmer was selling I knew immediately that I wanted to buy the place and try to restore it to its former glory. The whole farmstead felt like it had been caught in a time warp, and it was exciting wondering what I might discover beneath all the undergrowth.”

Although John had never previously built his own home, he has a background in architecture and a passion for old buildings. Ivy Cottage was the kind of property he had always dreamed of owning, with its enviable location on the crown of a hill, surrounded by mature trees and enjoying a breathtaking vista across five counties over the Lagan Valley and Lough Neagh.

“I knew that I wanted to use Des Ewing as my architect, for his fantastic reputation and the fact that he specialises in designing high-quality homes,” says John. “The existing single storey rendered house wasn’t particularly attractive, and needed to be dismantled and replaced, so we applied for planning permission to increase the footprint of the new property upwards to create a second floor, as well as linking it at one end into the neighbouring stone barn and adding a more contemporary sunroom.”

Planning permission for the project included a change of use for the barn into a dwelling, which was granted quickly without a hitch. John and his team of builders then set to work clearing the access road and site — saving as many of the materials as possible, from stone to barn doors, with the intention of reusing them in the new design.

“The original house had no foundations, so new footings were dug for the stone-clad barn and the cottage, which is built from rendered cavity blockwork,” says John. “Most of the reclaimed items were found by Geoff Wilson, a salvage specialist and friend.”

It was Geoff who provided the solid reclaimed wooden planked floors, with their aged patina and beautiful grain, along with the restored period cast-iron radiators which are such a feature throughout the house. A 19th century leaded glass window was another find, as was the granite fireplace in the family room.

“The main cottage is built on the footprint of the original, and contains the formal sitting room, hallway and dining room,” explains John. “All of the rooms are in proportion, and each one is stepped up from the next to follow the contours of the sloping ground.”

Extending into the neighbouring stone barn has created a bright and spacious kitchen/dining room, with a hand-built wooden kitchen painted in milky white and a slate-blue island unit. Beside this, further steps lead up into the new glazed sunroom, which enjoys unparalleled views across the surrounding countryside.

“It was the kind of build which evolved as it went along, partly because of the various salvaged items we wanted to incorporate, and also because we kept finding extra little nooks and crannies of space which we could use,” says John, who worked closely with his handpicked team of skilled craftsmen at every stage of the project. “Of course there had to be certain compromises in order to meet Building Regulations, and the double-glazed sliding sash windows are all new, but wherever possible I’ve tried to be truly authentic.”

Despite its complexity, the build went surprisingly smoothly, with work extending to the neighbouring outbuildings, which have been meticulously restored. Beside the main house a double garage and stables were formed from the existing cart house and small barn, with a study area tucked into the loft space above.

“Most people would have pulled down all the outbuildings because they were in such a state, but I wanted to restore the whole farm, and that included the original barns and sheds,” says John.

“Now that the house is finished there really is very little I would change. It’s proved to be a fantastic space for entertaining, but it’s also a great place just to spend time relaxing and enjoying the peace and quiet. The whole project has been challenging and exciting, and I was always determined to make everything as authentic as possible with no obvious mod cons. In fact, I don’t even have a TV set to spoil the effect!”

Dealing With No Foundations

Many old buildings do not have much in the way of foundations, which is not necessarily a problem if the ground is stable and you do not introduce new loadings. If creating a second storey then it is necessary to employ a structural engineer. In John’s case, the original farmhouse was beyond repair, so he took the decision to knock down and rebuild — meaning new footings were dug for both the new house and the old adjoining barn. Under pinning buildings is done in sections, and often involves hand digging beneath a section of wall around a metre long and removing all the earth down to loadbearing ground (or 300mm below the finished ground floor level, whichever is greater). The base of the hole is then filled with at least 200mm concrete to form a base. Once this base is set, solid masonry (blocks, bricks or stone) is built up within a few millimetres of the underside of the wall. Next, a dry mix of river sand and cement is packed between the new masonry and underside of the existing wall. This underpinning is hard work, but will stabilise the building without disturbing it.

Further reading:

• Renovating a Derelict 15th Century Farmhouse
• A Farmhouse Built in a Conservation Area
• A Self-built Low Energy Farmhouse