Built in the countryside and in agricultural areas, barns accompany larger farmhouses. They also often have only one purpose: providing the space for the storage of tools, utensils, and equipment. Over the last few decades, however, barn conversions have become incredibly popular. This has led to the revamping of barn architecture and the transformation of purely utilitarian agricultural structures into modern living spaces, comfortable retreats, or airy studios. On this page, you can read more about some of the most impressive projects we could find. Completed all over the world, these barns complement their rustic character with contemporary design.

Barn architecture marries past and present to create spaces that celebrate tradition and nature at the same time. Here, you can discover a wide range of designs, including architectural projects that faithfully preserve the envelope of an old barn or projects that offer a modern take on traditional designs. In the first category, you can find gabled volumes with weathered wooden cladding and interiors that feature exposed wooden beams as well as refined and minimalist living spaces. In the second category, there are sleek structures that reinvent the barn archetype. Think glass facades and prefab aluminum panels alongside timber elements.

While most of these barns house living spaces, some of these projects don’t fit neatly – or even at all – in the category of residential barn architecture. For example, one converted barn that houses a photo studio with the interior clearly divided into a social area and a workspace. Or a barn structure that one studio transformed into a thought-provoking art installation. Open to the sky in one corner, the timber volume becomes an artistic addition to a bucolic landscape and offers a new perspective on the rural setting.