HOME + GARDEN
HARTDENE BARNS BY Q NEW HOMES
PHOTOGRAPHY BY: CAMILLA ULLOA
Tucked within the gentle Kentish countryside, Hartdene Barns is a place where time slows down and the future quietly arrives. Once working farm buildings that had fallen into disrepair, these characterful structures have been lovingly reimagined into extraordinary homes that honour the past while embracing a new vision of sustainable luxury. Super energy-efficient, luxurious net-zero homes which are virtually free of utilities.
Behind the transformation are brothers Damien and Michael Wynne, founders of Q New Homes, a company that now prioritises climate-conscious construction. With backgrounds in civil engineering and residential construction, their passion for building better in both performance and purpose led them to create something truly different.
Their latest achievement, Hartdene Barns, is more than just a beautiful conversion of agricultural buildings, it’ s a pioneering scheme setting new standards. Seamlessly combining net-zero living with contemporary luxury, it’ s the first UK residential project to fully meet the RIBA Climate Challenge targets.
What was the original vision behind Hartdene Barns? Did sustainability shape the development from the start? Sustainability was never an afterthought- we chose to incorporate green values from the outset. As soon as we walked onto the site, we knew we had a rare opportunity to demonstrate that eco-conscious homes could also be high-end, high-performance and in harmony with their surroundings. Hartdene Barns was always going to be about making a bold statement: that rural conversions can be carbon responsible and architecturally stunning at the same time.
We worked closely with our architects, Nissen Richards Studio, and followed the RIBA Climate Challenge framework rigorously, targeting drastic reductions in operational energy consumption and embodied carbon, improved wellbeing for residents and a design that respects the background of the site.
What inspired the development and design process? The inspiration was twofold. First, the barns themselves had incredible character. Preserving that heritage and marrying it with modern living was a powerful driver. Second, our commitment to environmentally friendly construction shaped every material. We worked closely with sustainability experts and designers who shared our ethos, so every decision from sourcing materials to incorporating renewable systems like air source heat pumps and solar PV panels was led by environmental logic without compromising on elegance or comfort.
What was your design / build timeframe? The project spanned approximately 36 months, with design and pre-construction planning taking a good portion of that time. Meeting our sustainability goals added complexity but we were adamant about not cutting corners. The construction phase was managed in-house, ensuring we maintained full control over quality, environmental targets and timelines.
How did you strike the balance between excellent design and a sustainability-led build that also kept to budget? Striking that balance was one of the most complex parts of the project especially because Hartdene Barns is the first residential scheme in the UK of its kind. With no direct precedent, accurately forecasting costs was almost impossible. We were stepping into uncharted territory, often having to make decisions based on principles rather than spreadsheets.
Despite this, we never compromised on our vision. We controlled costs by doing much of the work in-house, tightly managing procurement and designing with efficiency in mind from day one. We prioritised long-lasting, quality materials such as our standing seam jet black zinc roofing with a lifespan of 100 + years. This meant long-term durability, lower lifecycle costs and less maintenance for the future homeowner. In short, we invested where it mattered most, with no slipped roof tiles 10 years down the line.
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