Sheep Field Barn

Project Info

Extending the life of an existing agricultural building, Sheep Field Barn creates an elegant and flexible new home for learning, making and exhibition while celebrating its rural character and history. 

Set within Henry Moore Studios & Gardens, a former agricultural barn has been carefully refurbished and extended to support the Henry Moore Foundation’s expanding education and public programme. Once used for storage and later adapted as a gallery, the building now provides spaces for exhibitions, workshops and public engagement, while retaining the elegant frugality that reflects Moore’s own practical approach to making and reuse. 

Timber plays a central role throughout the project. The original agricultural steel frame is wrapped in reclaimed silver spruce cladding sourced from Yorkshire barns, while the new extension introduces exposed Douglas fir beams and timber struts that sit comfortably alongside the existing structure. Cladding removed during the refurbishment has been refinished and reused to line the new workshops, reinforcing the project’s commitment to making the most of existing materials. 

Designed to minimise its impact on the site, the timber ground floor sits on reusable steel screw piles. Large roof overhangs, rooflights and generous windows provide shade, daylight and natural ventilation, creating comfortable spaces that connect visitors with the surrounding sculpture gardens. Together, these thoughtful interventions give the barn a new future while allowing its history and material character to remain clearly visible.