Workshop Architecten has created a blackened wood barn for a farm in the Netherlands, which is divided into separate living quarters for sheep and people.

Named Barn Rijswijk, the building is surrounded by century-old fruit trees on the 4.5-hectare-estate of the Rottenburg farm in Rijswijk, a municipality in the west of the country.

Amsterdam-based Workshop Architecten was asked to replace a rundown barn dating to the 1960s with a more contemporary outbuilding that could serve as storage space, as well as a shelter for sheep and an apartment.

"The new barn fits to both the landscape and the historical buildings on the estate," said the architects.

The broad Douglas fir planks forming the buildings walls and pitched roof are stained black, while inside the wood is left in its natural state to create a two-tone effect.

The structure is divided into three areas: an apartment, the barn and an intermediate zone with slatted walls.

The latter provides a through-route to connect the southwest and northeast sides of the farmyard. Artificial lighting shines through the gaps between the slats that enclose this area at night.

Windows in the blackened walls are highlighted by untreated wooden frames. They offer views of the yard as well as the orchard.

The apartment has bright white walls and light grey flagstones at ground level, while a mezzanine hosting a wooden dining table is accessed by a light-coloured timber staircase.

Tailor Made Arkitekter also referenced agricultural architect for a lakeside spa in Sweden that is half greenhouse, half rust-coloured barn, while Thomas Kroeger created a holiday home inside an old cowshed in Germany.

Project credits:

Design: Workshop Architecten
Contributors: Sander Gijssen, Johan de Wit, Laura Berasaluce Achaerandio, Ergin kurt
Contractor: Legemaat van Elst