This 1,400 sq. ft. architect’s family retreat outbuilding had a tight budget ($250,000) ($178 psf) and was built over 6 years – finished in 2005 on a virgin glacial moraine landscape, two sides and the bottom of the Barn structure are set to miss existing boulders by 1”. Tidal and inland wetlands regulations were followed – including pulling back an eave to avoid overhanging the wetlands boundary. Wrought of 32 species of wood this is a unique product of love, money, time and barter. The very land itself was swapped for the design of a new home on the adjacent lot; the finish grading was swapped to satisfy an old bill; the flat rock used for the entry stoop was imported to satisfy an old bill.
The barn took the place of a house addition, saving a spectacular 200 year-old white oak. Sheet rocking was avoided by painting the inside surface of the exposed wall and ceiling SIPS panels (it did mean exposed conduit); a modest red oak that had to be cut down to build the Barn was resawn and air dried two years and became flooring; the number of sonotube footings were minimized (16) utilizing large-scale cantilevers to minimize intrusion into the wetlands; the social-sized screen porch pre-empts air conditioning; plantation-grown cypress board-and-batten siding is used and its leftovers used for flooring; leftover 2x T&G flooring was used for partitions and doors.
A used heating plant was recycled; half of the windows were “seconds” – rejected birch columns found a home; 3/4 of the stair was salvaged; off-cuts from the Avonite shower became kitchen backsplashes; half the timberframe was salvaged (including Alaska yellow cedar mail box post off cuts); door panels are millwork shops’ leftovers. The entire second floor is made from over 20 species of salvaged woods.
