Living Inside an 18th Century Ruin | Croft Lodge Studio

Explore Croft Lodge Studio, an extraordinary architect-designed home built around the preserved ruins of an 18th-century cottage in Herefordshire. What do you do when faced with a ruin? Do you erase it? Restore it? Or find a way to live alongside it? In this episode of Space2Place Workshop, I visit Croft Lodge Studio, an extraordinary architect-designed home, studio and guest house built around the preserved ruins of an 18th-century cottage in the Herefordshire countryside. Designed by Kate Darby and David Connor, this remarkable project challenges conventional ideas of conservation, restoration and adaptive reuse. Rather than reconstructing the original cottage, Kate and David designed a contemporary protective shell around the ruin, preserving the historic fabric exactly as they found it. The result is a home where centuries of history coexist with carefully detailed modern architecture, demonstrating that conservation is not always about repairing the past, sometimes it is about knowing when not to intervene. As David was one of my tutors at the Manchester School of Architecture, visiting Croft Lodge Studio was also an opportunity to reconnect with someone whose approach to architecture had a lasting influence on the way I think about design. Walking through the house, it became clear that the principles he shared with me. The importance of responding to a sites history and context rather than imposing an architecture design in isolation upon it is embedded in every part of this extraordinary home. Whether you're an architect, designer, creative or simply someone who loves exceptional houses and thoughtful architecture, I hope this film offers a fresh perspective on what it means to conserve the past. About Space2Place Workshop Space2Place Workshop is an architect-led YouTube channel exploring exceptional homes through the eyes of the people who design and inhabit them. Each film looks beyond aesthetics to uncover the ideas, stories and architectural decisions that shape remarkable places. If you enjoy thoughtful architecture, house tours and conversations about design, consider subscribing. Are you an architect or homeowner with a project that deserves to be featured? I'd love to hear from you. Stay at Croft Lodge Studio Croft Lodge Studio is available to stay as a holiday home in Herefordshire, allowing visitors to experience this remarkable piece of contemporary British architecture first-hand. If you'd like to experience it yourself, you can find more information here: https://www.cottages.com/cottages/cro... Follow Space2Place Workshop Instagram: space2placeworkshop TikTok: space2placews Credits Host & Producer: Asher Bourne Featuring: Kate Darby David Connor Filmed on location at Croft Lodge Studio, Herefordshire. Chapters 00:00 Introduction 01:36 Arrival at Croft Lodge Studio 02:49 Dining Room 6:23 Living Room 12:58 Kitchen 14:32 Landing 17:41 Bathroom 17:50 Bedroom One 20:22 Bedroom Two 22:08 The Snug 26:11 Reflections #Architecture #HouseTour #Conservation #AdaptiveReuse #HistoricBuildings #ResidentialArchitecture #BritishArchitecture #Space2PlaceWorkshop #architecturedesign #homerenovation #renovation #airbnb