734 Barn

Our task was to honor the best features and details of the original structure design. We designed a Swiss Army knife on the same modest footprint, including a barn, garage, entertainment center, work space, and gym. The once dark, unconditioned shelter for sheep, emerged as a light-filled, state-of-the-art, passive solar playhouse for people.

Shelves supported by wrought-iron brackets held Maxwell House coffee cans and glass baby food jars filled with tools and bits of fishing tackle, and tiny mirrors strategically placed to see who was coming in the back door while you were working. The walls were paneled with boards and window frames salvaged from boats, ships, and previous barns, all painted varying shades of the coppery-green found on traditional fishing vessels. It was dark dark dark inside and the sun came through spaces between the planking on the walls and roof. The hayloft doors opened up to a giant ent of an apple tree at one end, and on the other, the meadow that rose and fell toward Salt Spray to the east.