Whether they're refurbishing a ruin from the 1700s or rehabbing an old ambulance station, these architects deftly create modern living from historical shells.

1. The Gables by Patalab Architecture

For this 2014 project in London, Patalab converted a 1950s industrial compound into a three-bedroom house and two one-bedroom apartments. Inside, the building's original white-washed bricks surround a spacious open plan. "The result is a richly textured internal perimeter, imbued with the memory of place," write the architects on their website.

2. The White House by WT Architecture

This 2010 project merges an abandoned ruin on the Isle of Coll in Scotland with a new house that preserves the "character of the ruin by being visually separate but physically connected." See more pictures on the architect's website.

3. Chevron House by AMA

Bold Bauhaus colors enliven a brick Edwardian house in London that was renovated for an art collector. AMA first created a warehouse-like atmosphere by removing walls, then applied strategic color to the kitchen floor, cabinetry, and counters.

4. Salthouse by Carl Turner Architects

A former cottage for farm workers nestled in the Salthouse Marshes in Norfolk is now a comfortable, modern home with a laid-back Scandinavian aesthetic, thanks to an open interior plan and pared-back materials.

5. The Deckhouse by Black Architecture

Just 50 deckhouses were constructed in the late 1960s and early 1970s at Emsworth Yacht Harbour in Hampshire, England. When architect Paul Hinkin found this one, it was in a state of disrepair. After stripping it back to its original composite steel and timber frame, he installed high performance insulation and photo-voltaic array, as well as a stainless steel kitchen, poured resin floors, and English ash joinery.

6. Writer's Coach House from Intervention Architecture

To refurbish this outbuilding in Moseley, Birmingham, the architects took advantage of the double-height interior to connect two floors and incorporate a rich material palette that includes oak timber floors, an exposed brick wall, and structural steel components.

7. Ivy Cottage by David Sheppard Architects

In Southwestern England, an architect integrates a former postman's cottage into a sprawling estate by using the same stone mixture on the new exterior walls and referencing the original roofline. "We wanted to complement and enhance the humble dwelling," says Sheppard.

8. Ochre and Stealth Barns by Carl Turner Architects

For this retreat in rural Norfolk, the architects retrofitted a red brick threshing barn, the Ochre Barn, into a residence, then built an adjacent 800-square-foot timber-clad structure, the Stealth Barn, as a guest house or studio. Per their website: "Having seen too many agricultural buildings destroyed by over-domestication, we were keen to leave the exterior of this old barn in tact whilst transforming the interior into a flexible living space."

9. St. John's Ambulance Station by Marta Nowicka & Co

Restored brick walls, grey oak paneled floors and cabinetry, and stainless steel accents make for an inviting family home in an old ambulance station in the town of Rye in East Sussex.

10. Church Hill Barn by David Nossiter Architects

A once crumbling barn complex on the Essex/Suffolk border is refurbished into a grand private home, complete with cathedral-like proportions and a plethora of preserved historical features.

Also Appears In

Bright Bauhaus Colors Fill This Brick Edwardian House in London

Chevron House