House of Harvest – Juntos Farm by Frayn Studio

A bold retrofit of an abandoned cattle slaughterhouse, the project breathes new life into a structure that had been dormant since 2016. In 2022, Frayn Studio partnered with local architects, engineers, and the client to reimagine the space. The building’s original function of food transformation was preserved, while new interventions within the internal layout of the building introduce a dynamic, mixed-use design that supports both public and private operations. The core aim is to connect every stage of the food production process, creating a local, circular system for processing fresh food.

The design retains the building’s original footprint yet reinterprets it as a “metabolism,” where freshly harvested produce enters through a loading bay and moves through distinct yet interconnected spaces. These spaces are designed to add value at every stage. The Food Distribution and Transformation Kitchens are operated as private commercial areas, while the Farm Shop and Tasting Room are open to the public, inviting visitors to connect with locally produced food. These public spaces are linked by a new courtyard featuring a planted public seating area.

A commitment to energy efficiency is central to the building’s design. The exterior is enveloped in a “thermal blanket” made from Diathonite Evolution – a natural material composite of lime, cork, and clay—which enhances the building’s insulation. The roof is constructed from compressed wood fibre panels and topped with standing-seam zinc panels. This design not only contributes to the building’s energy performance but also captures every drop of rainwater, funnelling it through an underground system back to the farm to nourish crops that feed the building.

The roof is also home to over 100 solar panels, generating up to 70 kWh of power. In summer, the building produces more energy than it consumes, selling the surplus back to the grid. The north-facing side of the roof is punctuated with skylights, allowing natural light to flood key areas and reducing the need for artificial lighting throughout the day.

The House of Harvest stands as a living, working proof of concept for the wider transformation of agricultural infrastructure at Juntos Farm. It serves as a case study for retrofitting industrial spaces to support the development of local, regenerative food systems—a vision shared by the client and design team, who aim to inspire a broader movement towards local, community-driven agriculture.