The Modern Barn

A layered bungalow stripped back and re-ordered into a light-driven barn, rooted in memory and place.

  • A project that started as a simple visit to inspect wood borer turned into a transformation of a much-altered Durban North bungalow into a light filled barn-like space. At the first site visit, it was clear the house had good bones; timber floors, high ceilings, large rooms and great views of the Indian Ocean. The house was not only built by the client’s grandfather in the 1930’s, it stood on the site of the old Durban North “Tip Top Dairy”. The modest 2 bedroom house had been renovated numerous times and now bore little resemblance to the original structure. Although the house was now larger, the renovations had made the house dark inside and left some key living rooms without a connection to the site.

    Using light as a primary material and referencing the dairy archetype, the modern barn concept was formed.

    Since the roof was to be redone, the existing complicated roof was removed and reconfigured to create 2 defined bays, living and bedrooms, connected by a simple passage. This restored spatial order and opened up the house; clarifying the distinction between public living spaces and private sleeping areas.

    The house is a testament to what one can do with existing masonry and still be able to transform it into something that feels fresh and relevant. The project has not only redefined how the family live their everyday life, they cherish moments at home again.

  • Thank you for making it such a wonderful space to be in, we are loving it.” - Client

  • Location : Durban North, Durban

    Photography : Dane Forman

Award certificate from the South African Institute of Architects recognizing Jared & Shelley McLean, 197 High Ridge Road, Athlone, Durban, for engine architecture, sponsored by Corobrik, October 2023.
3D model of a modern single-story house with a backyard patio, pool, and surrounding fence, viewed from above.
Modern outdoor patio with a wooden pergola, black metal fixtures, and a stone-tile floor, attached to a white house with black-framed windows and doors.
Close-up of a building's underside showing a wooden roof structure with black metal brackets and hanging black cable loops against a clear blue sky.
Close-up of a stone pool deck and water.
Outdoor patio with a wooden dining table and six chairs, overlooking a swimming pool and lush green trees, covered by a wooden pergola with hanging metal rods.
Close-up of a dark wooden door with horizontal planks, a black metal strip, and a keyhole.
Interior view of a modern home with a pinball machine and a surfboard to the left, a tiled dark floor, white walls, and a front door with stained glass windows at the end of the hallway.
A minimalist office with a wooden desk, black office chair, small wooden cabinet with drawers, a potted green plant, and a few office supplies on the desk, with a bright white wall and a skylight overhead.
Ceiling with wooden slats and an exposed concrete beam.
Modern living room with large windows, concrete ceiling, black and white cracked stone floor, gray sofa, wooden dining table with black chairs, plants, and a bar area with black stools.
Ceiling with wooden beams forming slats, lit by natural light from skylights.
Modern dining room with stone flooring, a wooden dining table with seven black chairs, windows letting in natural light, a gray sofa in the corner, and a slanted ceiling with wooden beams and a sleek air conditioning unit.
Modern kitchen and dining area with a wooden table, black chairs, black cabinetry, a white island with a gas stove, and large windows, under a wooden slatted ceiling with black track lighting.
Ceiling with black track lighting fixtures and exposed wooden beams.
Ceiling with suspended metal rings and rods in a minimalist architectural design
Open-concept living space with kitchen and dining area, large windows, and vaulted ceiling with exposed wooden beams and modern black lighting fixtures.
Open-concept living and dining area with high vaulted ceiling featuring exposed wood beams, a gray sectional sofa, a wooden dining table with six black chairs, and a modern kitchen with white and black cabinets, a white countertop, and stainless stee
A plain white door with a small silver lock, partially open, revealing a dark floor behind it.
Empty narrow hallway with white walls, a tall window with black trim, a door on the left, wood flooring, and sunlight casting a shadow on the floor.
Modern bathroom with two white vessel sinks on a white countertop, dark textured accent wall, two large rectangular mirrors, black faucets, black towel bars with black-and-white towels, and various toiletries and a Chanel box on a thin shelf.
Modern bathroom with two white sinks, black faucets, a large mirror, and a shelf with skincare products, a Chanel box, and a soap dispenser.
Modern house entrance with white walls, a decorated glass front door, a black trash can, and a stone tiled patio with a pergola casting striped shadows.
Modern white house with a black fence and small pool in the backyard, with sliding glass doors and an open patio area.
Side view of a white house with a red-tiled roof, patio, and swimming pool, surrounded by a garden and a white fence, under a partly cloudy sky.