Forgeworks' House of Blue Lias Connects Farmhouse and Barn in Somerset
Amy Duong — March 13, 2026 — Art & Design
References: forgeworks
The Forgeworks House of Blue Lias is a residential renovation in Somerset that links a 19th-century farmhouse with a previously converted barn through a contemporary stone extension. The project introduces a minimalist “link” building constructed from locally quarried blue lias stone and framed glazing, establishing a new entrance and reorganizing the home around a south-facing terrace. The extension houses a combined living and dining space and uses large sliding glass panels that open toward the terrace and pool area, creating a continuous connection between the interior and surrounding landscape.
The renovation also reworks the adjacent barn, retaining its original stone walls while upgrading insulation and internal layout. Bedrooms, bathrooms, and family spaces were reorganized inside the structure, while renewable systems including solar panels, batteries, and air-source heat pumps were integrated to improve energy performance. A freestanding double-sided fireplace made from blue lias stone forms a central feature within the new extension, dividing the living areas while emphasizing the material continuity between the historic buildings and the contemporary addition.
Image Credit: French + Tye
The renovation also reworks the adjacent barn, retaining its original stone walls while upgrading insulation and internal layout. Bedrooms, bathrooms, and family spaces were reorganized inside the structure, while renewable systems including solar panels, batteries, and air-source heat pumps were integrated to improve energy performance. A freestanding double-sided fireplace made from blue lias stone forms a central feature within the new extension, dividing the living areas while emphasizing the material continuity between the historic buildings and the contemporary addition.
Image Credit: French + Tye
Trend Themes
-
Stone-link Architecture — Modular stone-and-glass connectors that unify historic buildings and contemporary additions, preserving material continuity while enabling repeatable assembly.
-
Material Continuity Design — A focus on local stone as a defining aesthetic that bridges old and new, supporting novel supply-chain and finish technologies for culturally rooted façades.
-
Energy-integrated Renovation — Renovations that combine upgraded building envelopes with on-site renewables and storage, creating opportunities for integrated retrofit solutions that balance heritage constraints and performance targets.
Industry Implications
-
Residential Renovation — Heritage properties paired with contemporary inserts present a market for specialist retrofit systems that reconcile conservation requirements with modern spatial and thermal standards.
-
Architectural Stone Quarrying — Local quarry operations supplying distinctive materials like blue lias could expand into value-added prefabricated components and specification services for designers.
-
Sustainable Building Systems — Compact arrays of solar, battery, and heat-pump technologies tailored for mixed historic-contemporary assemblies enable new product configurations for low-impact whole-house upgrades.
3.4
Score
Popularity
Activity
Freshness
