Richard Pender was involved in every stage of this self-build project to create a sustainable and accessible house for his parents in rural Northumberland, which involved fabricating the wooden frame on site in a disused barn.

Pender's parents previously resided in a traditional farmhouse and wanted to continue living on the same site, but needed a modern home that could adapt to their changing needs as they grow older.
Pender, who is not qualified as an architect but describes himself as a property developer, worked in collaboration with Dan Kerr of MawsonKerr Architects on the design of the building, which occupies an area within a former farmyard to the rear of the existing house.
The proposal was driven by the functional requirements of Pender's parents, and by a desire to create a building that employs Passivhaus techniques to minimise its environmental impact. Photograph is by Jennie Webb
"The underlining principle in the brief was that the new dwelling should be a highly sustainable, energy efficient construction, that should facilitate ease of living for the elderly," Pender told Dezeen.
"Secondary to that was the desire for a clean, contemporary architecture that stood distinct from, but respectful to, the much loved traditional farmhouse and neighbouring buildings."

The project involved redeveloping the yard and outbuildings, including a single-storey stone and slate barn, which was converted into an annex containing the master bedroom and ...