Keyneston Barns
Botanical Gardens, Fragrance Distillery & Visitor Centre
DMW worked closely with Parterre Fragrances and Keyneston Mill to develop a comprehensive master plan and landscape scheme for their 46-acre rural site in Dorset. The site is home to a collection of historic buildings, including a 19th-century listed water mill and other rural structures, as well as agricultural land used to grow organic crops for perfume production. The project involved a new distillery building, a contemporary art gallery, and residential conversions and extensions of listed buildings, aimed at creating a harmonious and functional rural complex.
Project Director: Ryan Martin
Project Leads: Sean Daly, Mark Senior, Britt Crayston, Mike Wigglesworth
Planning Consultant: Savills
Contractor: Greendale Construction
The Long Barn Distillery: This central feature of the site is a prefabricated building designed to house the distillery where botanic oils are extracted from organic crops and refined into high-quality perfumes. The building, constructed off-site and erected in just two weeks, includes a restaurant, exhibition space, storage facilities, and public amenities.
Art Gallery: In phase 2, the masterplan includes the development of an art gallery building with a traditional timber frame crafted from British Larch. The gallery will offer an exhibition space that connects with both the local community and the natural surroundings.
Residential Conversions: Several listed buildings on the site, including the 19th-century water mill, were identified for conversion into residential spaces. These conversions were approached with care, ensuring the preservation of historical features while updating the interiors to meet modern standards. DMW Architects worked with a historic specialist to carefully restore the mill machinery, ensuring that it remains a functional and integral part of the site. The restoration process included detailed plans for preserving the mill’s original features while allowing for its adaptation to a contemporary functional use.
Throughout the design process, a strong focus on sustainability was maintained, with the site incorporating renewable energy systems and sustainable building materials. The Long Barn distillery and the new art gallery have been designed with energy efficiency in mind, including the use of natural ventilation, solar energy, and locally sourced materials.
DMW collaborated closely with the local authority and other agencies to justify the ambitious proposals. The success of the project lies in the ability to bring together the historic and contemporary elements of the site in a way that meets both local regulations and the client’s vision.
The core design approach was to balance the site’s natural assets and historical legacy with modern, sustainable building practices. The masterplan sought to integrate both new and existing structures into a cohesive and vibrant environment that respects the rural context and provides a modern space for distillation, arts, and residential living.