The conversion of a barn is not merely a building project, but a tangible opportunity to rethink the organisation of the entire farm. During the design phase, Rota Guido supports the farmer with a dedicated consultancy service, aimed at identifying the most practical solutions in relation to the introduction of new facilities and potential future developments, allowing the farmer to review these solutions even whilst work is in progress.

The choice between refurbishing existing buildings and constructing new ones depends mainly on the characteristics of the original structure. Older buildings, such as those with fixed housing systems, often have limitations in terms of height, volume and microclimatic conditions for adult cows, but can be put to good use by adapting them for animals with different needs, such as calves. Conversely, newer or correctly sized structures can be refurbished successfully through targeted interventions.

On the one hand, when refurbishing existing facilities, the most common changes involve switching the milking system from a traditional parlour to a robotic one, and converting from deep litter to cubicles. In such cases, the structural design is crucial: arched structures, which have no internal pillars, offer greater flexibility when reorganising layouts and traffic flows. Further changes relate to the flooring, which is essential for safety and functionality.

On the other hand, when constructing a new building, it is standard practice to allocate the new barn to lactating cows and those in the transition phase, whilst converting the existing one for heifers, thereby optimising the investment. The reuse of existing buildings, such as barns or fattening facilities, presents an interesting opportunity, but requires careful technical assessment: whilst they may be functional, they often have structural limitations or require significant work, particularly on the flooring (if cracked).