The restoration of a traditional Cumbrian barn to create a set of contained spaces for creativity and spiritual practice. As part of a beautiful but exposed farm in Cumbria, this barn restoration carefully conserves the unique quality of the Lake District agricultural heritage while redeveloping a low-carbon annexe. Historic features such as the original threshing floors, cow stalls and original timber structure are paired with high performance thermal insulation and breathable materials. Three distinct internal environments are defined for the practice of creative, martial and spiritual arts to create a unified space for well-being, growth and connection with nature. A cave-like snug connects the three zones to the warm central hearth. Each space is heated via ground source heating, and walls are made of locally sourced stone or breathable hempcrete with interlocking masonry which re-embed the building’s hardy structure back into the network of drystone walls that crisscross the protected heritage landscape.