For our latest roundup, we have collected five times architects have either created new cowsheds or transformed existing sheds into houses, studios and libraries.

In locations from Rajasthan, India, to Dorset, UK, architects are working with agricultural buildings to create surprising and well-designed spaces that celebrate their functional pasts.

Here are five of the best:

Cow House, India, by Compartment S4

One of just two brand-new cowsheds designed to house animals on this list, the sculptural Cow House in Maharashtra, India, was designed by Indian studio Compartment S4.

The aim was for the building, which replaces a dilapidated shed, to prioritise the comfort of both staff and cows. It was constructed from brick, stone and bamboo.

Find out more about Cow House ›

Cowshed, UK, by David Kohn Architects

London studio David Kohn Architects worked on the former dairy farm Middle Rocombe Farm, in Newton Abbot, UK, turning an agricultural building into a house and studio aptly named Cowshed.

The studio aimed to keep as much of the existing 1979 building as possible, retaining its original timber trusses, concrete floor and columns and some blockwork walls while adding new concrete blockwork.

Find out more about Cowshed ›

Stanbridge Mill Library, UK, by Crawshaw Architects

A former cowshed in Dorset was turned into the light-filled Stanbridge Mill Library, which is organised around a wooden, barrel-vaulted arcade that references the client's collection of books on Palladian architecture.

The library and office is located in an outbuilding of a Georgian farmhouse on a grade II-listed farm that had stood neglected for over forty years. London studio Crawshaw Architects made only small structural interventions to the building.

Find out more about Stanbridge Mill Library ›

The Potato Shed, the Netherlands, by Julius Taminiau Architects

Dutch studio Julius Taminiau Architects felt like it was "stepping into Vincent van Gough's painting The Potato Eaters" when it first saw the austere agricultural structures on a former farm in the Netherlands.

It kept only the foundations of an old cowshed when creating this home, which was named for the painting and is clad in thin timber slats that conceal double-layered openings.

Find out more about The Potato Shed ›

Gaushala, India, by Studio Saar

Located in south Rajasthan, India, the Gaushala – Hindi for cowshed – dairy facility was built using 560 tonnes of reclaimed material including steel and rubble.

It was designed to accommodate a herd of 40 native cows called Gir and has a sculptural, undulating roof that helps to divert water away from the building.

Find out more about Gaushala ›

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Indian studio Compartment S4 has completed a cowshed in Maharashtra, using a palette of brick, stone and bamboo to elevate its utilitarian spaces into a "humane, climate-responsive habitat".

Named Gaughar or Cow House, the project sits within a 340-acre fruit orchard in the coastal town of Dahanu, and replaces a dilapidated shed with a series of open, airy spaces that prioritise the comfort of both staff and cows.

Rather than demolishing the existing structure, Compartment S4 retained its steel frame, which was painted red and infilled with walls of locally-sourced black basalt stone and brickwork punctured by large archways and perforated sections.

This reconstruction was guided by a new layout based around hygiene and the everyday routines of the cattle and their caretakers. The studio created alternating enclosed and open spaces that allow for easy circulation, ventilation and daylight.

"The layout balances operational efficiency with animal comfort, creating a system where architecture quietly supports the daily rhythms of care, movement, and agricultural activity," Compartment S4 co-founder Kishan Shah told Dezeen.

"These sheds are designed as breathable structures, with indoor resting areas extending directly into outdoor paddocks so that cows can move freely between shaded and open environments," he continued.

"Together, these gestures redefine the Gaughar as a humane and climate-responsive habitat, where architectural form, animal wellbeing, and ecological systems are closely intertwined."

In order to instil a sense of what Compartment S4 described as "warmth and craftsmanship" into the otherwise utilitarian spaces, various locally crafted elements were incorporated into its design.

Bamboo ceilings were made in collaboration with artisans from the Dang region, while openable windows are infilled with sections of block-printed ajrakh fabric.

Traditional jali screens informed the perforated brickwork sections on the shed's gable ends, and matka – clay pots used for storing water – were a reference point for the water troughs in both the sheds and shaded areas of the surrounding paddock.

"Much of the inspiration came from vernacular agricultural structures and traditional material practices that naturally respond to climate," said Shah.

"Elements such as arched masonry walls, porous brick jalis, and bamboo ceilings draw from regional knowledge systems while being adapted to the scale and needs of a contemporary cattle facility," he continued.

"The textiles bring colour, familiarity and cultural memory into the working environment, helping instil a sense of ownership among the people who manage and care for the cattle every day."

Elsewhere in India, architecture practice Studio Saar recently completed a dairy farm in Rajasthan, using a palette of reclaimed steel and rubble that was all sourced from within a 30-kilometre radius of the site.

The photography is by The Space Tracing Company.

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Architecture practice Studio Saar has built a dairy facility in south Rajasthan, India, using 560 tonnes of reclaimed material including steel and rubble.

Taking its name from the Hindi and Sanskrit word for cowshed, Gaushala is located in the heart of the Aravalli Hills on one side of a rocky outcrop – a site chosen to preserve the surrounding farmland and trees.

Studio Saar, which has offices in Rajasthan and Somerset in the UK, designed the 800-square-metre dairy to accommodate a herd of 40 native cows called Gir.

The cows provide milk that can be used to make organic ghee and other products, providing employment opportunities for local villages.

Gaushala's form is derived from a steel skeleton of portal frames positioned around existing features on the site, meaning a mature tree and rock formation are incorporated within the building.

"The building sits beautifully in its landscape, with surrounding foliage shielding it from harsh sunlight and allowing for significant ventilation, even in summer," said Studio Saar co-founder Ananya Singhal.

"It is a building that the cows seem to love and have grown very comfortable with," he added.

Its structure is designed in line with circular principles, with all building materials sourced within a 30-kilometre radius. This includes 360 tonnes of reclaimed structural steel and 200 tonnes of stone rubble and crushed concrete. Locally available waste granite was used for the foundations.

"The client was demolishing a nearby building, and we immediately seized this opportunity," said Singhal. "The structural steel for the project had to incorporate this material, which in turn drove our structural system," he explained.

"Reusing existing components and materials can be challenging but doing so can help us reduce waste while producing thoughtful buildings that are embedded in their context," continued Singhal.

The floor consists of broken traditional baked-terracotta bricks, laid out in a pattern created with the contractor to optimise drainage and provide sufficient grip for the cows.

A simple gravity system collects agricultural waste, which the studio said allows the farm to produce biofuel for power and make its ongoing operation self-sufficient.

A large undulating roof helps divert water away from the building, while its large overhangs protect the cows and the agricultural workers during rain and other extreme weather conditions.

One half of the roof incorporates space for traditional agricultural activities, such as making organic ghee and sun-drying spices and millets, which provide employment opportunities for local women.

The other half of the roof comprises a lightweight insulated structure that could one day accommodate solar panels, should the building's biofuel electric plant ever become insufficient.

To keep wild panthers away from the cows, the studio designed a chain-link fence – a low-cost solution that was tested to ensure it would not ensnare or injure them if they attempted to enter the facility.

Studio Saar was established by Jonny Buckland and Singhal in 2019 and has offices in Frome, Somerset and Udaipur, Rajasthan. In 2024, it won Dezeen's Emerging architect of the year award.

Its previous projects include the Third Space learning and cultural centre, and its transformation of a run-down park, which it updated with a canopy resembling a murmuration.

The photography is by Eshwarya Grover unless stated otherwise.

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London studio David Kohn Architects has converted an agricultural building on a former dairy farm in Newton Abbot, UK, to create a house and studio named Cowshed.

Cowshed is the last building to be completed in a 15-year-long transformation of Middle Rocombe Farm, which has been owned and inhabited by artist Suzanne Blank Redstone and her husband Peter Redstone since the early 1970s.

The couple has transformed the site into a housing community to achieve their goal of working "in an isolated rural location surrounded by a mix of families", said David Kohn Architects.

David Kohn Architect's brief centred on transforming the existing building, which was once a cattle shed, into a future-proof home that honours the building's site and history.

"They sought a home that would enable them to 'live in the light and the landscape', but that would still respect the original humble shed, whilst creating a future-proof accessible home," project architect Jennifer Dyne told Dezeen.

To achieve this, one of the studio's main aims for the project was to retain as much of the existing building – which was built by the couple in 1979 – as possible.

"We wanted to ensure that the original cowshed, which was built by Suzanne and Peter in 1979, lost none of its agricultural identity," said Dyne.

"We didn't just want to retain the existing building structure, but the character of the original space, and therefore it was almost a conservation-led approach."

With the help of the engineering studio Structure Workshop, the studio retained the shed's original timber trusses, concrete floor and columns and some blockwork walls to define new rooms.

Alongside these structural elements, other parts of the original farm to have been reused include old barn doors, a dairy sink and heat lamps once used to raise calves.

"These elements don't just acknowledge and celebrate the Cowshed's robust character and past life, but provide a deeper connection for Suzanne and Peter who have so many rich memories of the farm from over half a century," Dyne explained.

"We weren't wiping the slate clean, but trying to retain all the marks of former life, whether the original blockwork patina or markings on the concrete columns."

To ensure any new elements complement the original structure, David Kohn Architects developed "an economical material palette" with local materials typical of agricultural settings. This includes cedar and concrete sourced from nearby.

Meanwhile, any new concrete blockwork has been designed with textures and colours to compliment the original pink-hued blocks that once divided the cowshed.

Inside, Cowshed is primarily single-storey and has a step-free ground floor, aiming to ensure its owners can live there comfortably as they get older.

Blank Redstone's studio occupies the majority of the existing building's footprint, flanked by bedrooms, an office and study space. The main living and sleeping spaces are contained within an original lean-to structure that has a low ceiling, helping to create a more intimate interior.

"Suzanne's studio fills the central hall where the simplicity of the building acts particularly effectively, this light-filled room functions as the fulcrum of the home and as a backdrop for Suzanne's artwork, which fills the space wherever one looks," said Dyne.

"Suzanne's working practice involves being surrounded by her evolving artworks – with seven decades of work on show in the space."

A focal point of the home is a series of openings of different sizes and shapes that puncture the newly added profiled metal roof.

These refer to Blank Redstone's collection called Portal Paintings, which imagine walls and openings as gateways into different worlds.

"The Cowshed's oversized rooflight portals take the form of squares, circles and slots punctured through the roof," Dyne explained.

"Each one has a different coloured reveal that refracts light into their corresponding spaces – an orange-hued dressing room, a golden glow to the staircase, or the red oxide circle echoing the structural steel in the central studio."

Another stand-out detail of the interior is a half-moon window in the kitchen, designed to emphasise the bowled landscape framed through it.

Cowshed is complete with a large sheltered terrace to the entrance, with an outdoor workshop and studio to one side.

David Kohn Architects is a London studio that was founded by architect David Kohn in 2007. Its design for Cowshed was shortlisted for this year's RIBA House of the Year after the studio won the prize in 2022 for an "ordinary yet quirky" home it created in Dorset.

Its other projects include the Sanderson House extension that is intended to resemble a fox in the garden and the conversion of a listed residential interior in Berlin into an office.

The photography is by Max Creasy.

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London studio Crawshaw Architects has transformed a former cowshed in Dorset into a library and office, organised around a wooden, barrel-vaulted arcade that references the client's collection of books on classical Palladian architecture.

The Stanbridge Mill Library, which has been shortlisted in the civic and cultural interiors category of Dezeen Awards 2022, occupies one of several outbuildings of a Georgian farmhouse on a grade II-listed farm.

The narrow, gabled brick shed was originally built to house Standbridge Mill Farm's cows but had stood neglected for over forty years, used as storage for gardening equipment and farm machinery.

Looking to give the building a new purpose while maintaining its existing character, Crawshaw Architects made only small structural interventions, replacing two of its original roof trusses with portal frames that open up the interior.

"While a decisive transformation of the interior was called for, we felt that the original use of the building needed to be part of the story," explained the studio.

Stanbridge Mill Library's focal point is a central "nave", which is filled with seating areas covered by a wooden barrel vault and slotted between two narrow aisles lined by bookshelves. This plan references classical architectural forms, which are the focus of many of the client's books.

Pale, solid oak has been used for the floor, shelving, storage and the central vault, half of which is covered with planks and the other half left open to allow in light from new skylights.

"The high nave and pair of aisles are in the form of a classical library, but are set out in the register of the original building using the materials and construction techniques of traditional farm carpentry and metalwork," explained Crawshaw Architects.

"The vault, columns, shelves, tables and seating are made of the same solid oak planks and sections, deliberately selected to show knots and natural blemishes," the studio continued.

Desks are organised to take advantage of light from the windows and are illuminated at night by large pendants suspended from the vault.

The office space occupies the northern end of the building underneath an original roof truss, which is separated from the library by an arched glass door and windows that frame views through the nave and aisles.

To the south of Stanbridge Mill Library, a dog-leg in the plan is occupied by a small kitchen, positioned opposite a bathroom and a small lobby area.

Stanbridge Mill Library features in the civic and cultural interior category of Dezeen Awards 2022 alongside the renovation of the Groote Museum in Amsterdam by Merk X.

Another project on the shortlist is the interior of F51 Skate Park in Folkestone by Hollaway Studio, which won the public vote for the same category.

The photography is by Ingrid Rasmussen.

Project credits:

Architect: Crawshaw Architects
Design team: Pandora Dourmisi, Aidan Crawshaw
Structural engineer: Hardman Structural Engineers
Contractor: CanDo Constructions ltd

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Julius Taminiau Architects has rebuilt an old cowshed to create a house clad in thin timber slats that conceal double-layered openings.

Located on the site of a former farm in the Netherlands, the austere aesthetic of the agricultural structures on the site made the studio feel as if they were "stepping into Vincent van Gough's painting The Potato Eaters."

The painting gave the former cowshed its new name – The Potato Shed.

Drawing on the way in which light and air filtered through the old cowshed's decaying envelope, Julius Taminiau Architects sought out a cladding system that would recreate this feeling and atmosphere.

"On a hot sunny afternoon while visiting the site we drank tea in an old part of the timber-clad shed which provided shadow and a nice breeze," said the studio.

"We experienced an amazing play of lights going through the slim timber slats. This was our 'eureka' moment."

Alongside a guest house in an old farmhouse and an atelier in a former stable, Potato Shed completes an ensemble of structures clustered on a tree-filled landscape.

Only the foundations of the cowshed were retained for the new home.

But from the outset the new building was designed to reflect its original character, with a simple, barn-like volume, plain materials and few openings.

"We wanted to maintain the character that defines a typical shed or barn and searched for inspiration in the area," explained the practice.

Over two storeys the Potato Shed provides a large living, kitchen and dining area on the ground floor and two bedrooms beneath the pitched roof above.

The floor plan is arranged to be with two large windows looking out towards the surrounding views, contrasting the inward-facing form of the old farmhouse.

Alongside these fixed windows, doors and openings have been concealed behind the timber cladding to filter in light and air.

"The door behind the cladding can be opened and used for cross ventilation in summer and the concealed doors can be opened or closed to prevent animals or unwanted people getting inside," said the studio.

Upstairs, spaces are less exposed to the landscape, with windows at either end of a central corridor leading to warm, plywood-lined rooms.

In order to remain in-keeping with the style of the rest of the home, a chimney for a fireplace in the living room has been given the same treatment as the rest of the facade, wrapped by timber slats.

Julius Taminiau Architects, which is based in Amsterdam, has previously designed a temporary shipping container village for startups, and a floating houseboat with space-saving features.

Photography is by Norbert Wunderling.

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This 19th century barn in rural Germany has been remodelled into a holiday home and guest house, connected by a huge open hall featuring a network of original wooden trusses (+ slideshow).

Berlin studio Thomas Kroeger Architekt was commissioned to convert one half of this 140-year-old barn in Uckermark – a small village north of Berlin – into a holiday home and guest annex.

The focal point of the Landhaus (Country House) renovation is a large hall that occupies the double height of the former barn. Rotten beams and the derelict home of the former owner were stripped away and a series of tall arched openings were punched through the facade. These feature large wooden doors that can be folded back to connect the central space with an orchard.

Wooden beams and columns were left exposed through the core of the building to reveal the "inherent beauty of the crude trusses".

"After the conversion it shouldn't obviously look like a holiday home, but rather keep it's appearance like a barn," said the architects. "The difference to the structure on the street side is barely readable."

An oversized red brick fireplace with integrated seating rises from one side of the paved courtyard. Two benches are set into niches inside the wide hearth to allow the space to be used during the winter months.

"The house is designed so that the great hall is unheated and is surrounded by an enclosed and heated body of rooms," said the architect. "So for cold seasons only the smaller and more sociable areas of the house can be used, like birds' nests."

The family holiday home sits on one side of the hall, while a guest annex sits behind the fireplace on the other. Wooden steps lead from either side of the space into two elevated living spaces.

A glass wall fronts an open-plan lounge and dining area for the family home, while a timber wall provides privacy for a guest annex.

A closet for shoes and coats, and a kitchen pantry are located in the base of the stage-like platform of the family home.

Inside, a wooden pyramid constructed over the living room frames a skylight and creates a "more private and protected atmosphere" for the double-height space. The slatted design of this pyramid-shaped hood also allows light into the stairwell and upper floor bathroom.

"In order to achieve a scaled and intimate space Thomas came along with this wooden pyramid, which filters the light and hides the direct view on to the technical skylights," explained the studio.

A white staircase leads to to the upper floor where three bedrooms, bathrooms and studies that are spread around the edge of the courtyard. A linking corridor has glazed walls that overlook the atrium.

Blue and white tiles cover the floors of the bathrooms to create a floral motif, while a mirror fitted into an arched opening reflects light from the skylight above the living area.

On the other side of the building, the self-contained annex has its own entrance in the brick gable and is separated from the upper parts of the family home.

A living and dining area are located on the ground floor while two bedrooms and a bathroom occupy the upper floor. The perforated brickwork of the chimney breast screens the linking corridor from the family residence.

Photography is by Thomas Heimann.

Project credits:

Architect: TKA Thomas Kröger Architekt
Design Team: Thomas Kröger, Laura Becqueriaux

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London architecture firm A-Zero has completed an oak frame house that incorporates the steel frame of an old cowshed in a rural area near Leighton Buzzard, England (+ slideshow).

A-Zero was asked to design a house for a young family moving to a rural area, who had found a site occupied by old farm buildings.

Rather than demolishing and disposing of all the existing structures, they wanted to use them as the starting point for the design of their home and reuse as many of the old materials as possible.

The house occupies two thirds of the footprint of the farm's old cow barn, creating a sheltered courtyard on one side. The two-metre-high brick perimeter walls of the building were kept in-situ on the northern side of the site, providing a rain and wind shield for a new entrance courtyard.

"The original organisation of the farm provided good views to the south and a sheltered courtyard to the north," explained architect Giles Bruce.

"The new house works within this arrangement, glazed to the south for passive gains to the main living and dining area, and accessed via the north, away from prevailing winds."

The designers and clients wanted to create an oak structure, but were concerned that natural wear would cause the wood to change and shrink over time, compromising the air tightness necessary to meet the low-energy requirements specified in the brief.

An alternative hybrid solution was developed, combining a prefabricated oak frame, 90 per cent of the old steel frame from the cowshed – finished with red paint – and layers of insulation covered with brickwork and British larch cladding.

The larch on the facade also extends over some of the windows to provide privacy. Integrated guttering removes the need for overhanging eaves, minimising water run-offs that might create irregular staining of the wood. The pitched roof is covered in another blanket of insulation, and topped with slate tiles.

"The new oak frame and the reused steel frame are offset relative to each other providing small openings for natural ventilation at ground level," said Bruce.

"The existing slab was left in-situ, which not only reduced the cost of pouring a new slab and foundations, it also minimised the amount of spoil that had to be removed from the site. What was excavated was redistributed around the site as a part of the landscaping strategy. This meant there was no net removal of material from the site."

The south-facing facade features large areas of glazing at ground level, to use heat from the sun to warm the main living area. The glazing is arranged as a series of folding doors so the living space can be opened out to provide ventilation.

"Passive design played a key part in the external and internal layout, and the integration of active systems was all driven by a client desire for 'invisible sustainability' which very much mirrors our own approach," said Bruce.

Inside, the oak frame is left exposed. Walls are painted white to highlight the wood, which is also used to create the bannisters, doors and flooring.

The ground floor is largely occupied by an open-plan living and dining area that also incorporates the kitchen and connects to a sitting room at one end. A small utility room and bathroom are tucked behind the kitchen wall.

Upstairs, the four main bedrooms are accessed from the landing via two small lobbies, each with their own set of steps. These stepped entrances have curved walls that are also lined with strips of larch.

Situated at the far end from the main staircase, the master bedroom includes a walk-in wardrobe and en-suite bathroom. The three other bedrooms share a communal bathroom.

A smaller guest bedroom to the side of the family space, housed in the brick structure that abuts the timber-framed building, has its own staircase and bathroom but is connected to the family home with a door. The remainder of this brick side building incorporates more guest areas.

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