BARN
This project began with the desire to work with an existing artifact of our american heritage and revitalize it by exemplifying the inherent architectural qualities discovered within. This study has been an exploration of light and material and how space can change throughout time. Time is a strong condition within this project; the history of the building, the communication of old and new, and the activation of the interior through the ever-changing conditions of light; creating an awareness of ones existence in the presence of time.
honorable mention | AIA young architects - colorado
The Artifact the large wooden door moans as it opens, immediately the senses are engulfed by the heavy sweetness of aged hay. the presence of the massive timber slowly reveals its magnificence as the eyes adjust to the soft interior light. the paper thin walls glow with a marvelous intensity, a composition of light and shadow sculpted by nature and time.
The Project to build within and around an existing structure in a manner that activates the space as a new layer. this dialogue between old and new is made apparent through the articulation of light and the communication the building has with it's surrounding landscape. Plaster volumes pierce the existing structure, creating unique experiences of light at each level of the barn.
site: pennsylvania-style 'bank barn' | fincastle, virginia
program: photographer's residence, studio and gallery
Entry the entry breezeway is a tall, volumetric space. soft winds carry the sounds and smells of the fields beyond. reflections of the landscape in etched glass walls expands the presence of nature within.
Living the entrance to the living area is punctured by a large steel box creating a dark void in the delicate glass wall
Essence the ghostly image of a guest filters through etched glass
Light Wall the light wall volume captures the sky bringing it within. throughout the day the motion of the sun awakens the inhabitant's perception of time. standing within the wall there is a visual connection with the sky above.
Light Box the library loft is a place of silence and contemplation. the contained light of the light box becomes a pure volume that one can inhabit to dissolve into the physical and intellectual landscapes.
Loft spatial study of how the light changes the experience of space throughout the day and year
Gallery Entrance the progression to the gallery is enclosed between the steel wall and etched glass. the reflection of the wall in the glass embraces the visitor's approach.
Clarity the glass wall opens offering clarity to it's softened image.
Gallery the steel wall filters softly through, creating a contrast to the glow of reflected light.
Light Well the plaster light well has a dramatic presence within the gallery space. a puncture in the well allows light to spill out, tracking the progression of the sun along the gallery floor.
Sky View a vision of calm.
Descent the stairway to the workspace below leaves the traveler standing within the volume of the light well above.
Workspace the light well releases its contained light deep within the workspace, creating a soft ambiance that floats in a realm of shadows.
Steel Boxes the soft bending of diffuse light filters through steel boxes.
Landscape a large steel box opens to the landscape beyond.
Aperture patterns of light through various apertures, enhancing our awareness of time passing.
Bedroom the bedroom opens completely to the landscape.
Reflection the glass within the steel boxes reflect the serenity of the landscape.
Porch the concrete slab and cantilevered joists give the porch a sense of enclosure while offering framed panoramic views of the fields.
Landscape the smell of earth permeates the air as your gaze becomes lost in the rolling fields.