Stone Barn at a Coastal Farm

Project Details

Project Description

A family’s dream of creating a special place for present and future generations has been realized through an ongoing nineteen-year collaboration between the architect and client. The Stone Barn, the fourth in a series of phases in the reorganization and restoration of this family compound, has been repurposed from a dormant dairy barn into a great room at the social center of the farm. Situated at the highest elevation of the property, the bank barn was neatly tucked into the rolling topography around 1850. Dairy stalls were located on the ground level and accessible from the east. The main level had access from the west and the south. A gambrel roof replaced the original gable, which was destroyed during the New England Hurricane of 1938. Over the course of several generations and changes of ownership, ongoing water damage and subsequent powder post beetle infestation severely compromised the entire structure, to the extent that none of the original wood framing was salvageable. The east wall was noticeably bowed and cracked after years of supporting an eccentrically shifted roof load. The stone walls had a beautiful aged patina of chipped parging and yellow ochre lichen. Half of the stone walls required rebuilding, presenting a challenge to maintain the beloved patina and keep all walls looking consistent. The architect worked with the structural engineer and the mason to attain a mortar mix that was both sound and had the same weathered texture of the remaining walls. Additionally, the family requested that the lower level head room be increased to create usable space. Extensive underpinning and pouring of robust benched foundations now allows the lower level to provide a twenty-first century function. A series of Douglas fir heavy timber bents have been inserted into the barn’s stone shell. The placement of posts is spatially reminiscent of the original framing. A pair of steel trusses, centered on the two west facing doors, creates an unencumbered central open space for large gatherings. An oversized, steel clad fireplace anchors the gathering space and extends the use of the barn to include all seasons. Its presence and materiality is a purposeful foil, honoring the existing stone of the barn. A loft, accessed by a new, open stair, is positioned at the south gable end in place of the former haymow. The wood siding of the gable was stripped and replaced with a custom assembly of glass shingles set into a light steel frame, opening up an expansive view from the loft. This feature works in conjunction with a venting light monitor and a new glazed porch inserted through the rebuilt east wall, providing an abundance of natural light and fresh air to the barn. Beyond the porch, a large lawn has been created for the ease of indoor/outdoor entertaining, subtly foretelling the footprint of a future project. This area was regraded, creating a grassy plinth that blends into the surrounding topography. The adjoining foundation of a former shed anchors an irregularly shaped stone terrace. The fire pit within is a place where current generations of the family and their guests spend evenings watching the embers sail upwards into the night sky.