Overview
Built in the mountain terrain of Diamond Point, New York, the Barn House extension from Sigurd Larsen creates a very modern space that evokes the structure of the surrounding typical barn structures. A traditional cladding material helps the extension appear at home among the older structures, and the interior is design to be a comfortable, modern space that allows those within to experience the surrounding beautiful woodlands.
The idea of working with repeated motifs of a barn gable is inspired by the American painters Charles Sheeler and Andrew Wyeth. The sculptural monoliths of barns are oriented according to the sloping landscapes, giving interesting compositions where many volumes point in various directions.
Structure
The house is located in an ensemble of vernacular saddle roofed barns, which have been gradually extended and added to over the last 200 years. This new extension to the main house continues the building traditions of the area, where an unplanned system of diversely oriented volumes sit amongst the woodlands on the heavily sloped meadows that are typical of the region.
It contains a large open sleeping space overlooking a clearing in the forest, a bathroom as well as a connecting room that is used for the storage of books from floor to ceiling. The lower level, accessible from the outside, contains a working space with bath and a utility room.
Exterior
The cedar wood facade is sealed in a local traditional manner by burning the wood until the surface turns black. The result is a lively texture that changes colour during the day from a deep monochrome black to a silver grey reflecting the sunlight. The cladding ties the new extension into the typical buildings of the area.
Interior
Each element of the new extension - the building itself, the connector, the deck and the ramp - is given an individual orientation following the existing logic of the old surrounding buildings. Every window is carefully positioned to frame a specific view of the landscape or the surrounding old barns. This way all buildings old and new are directed by the sloping landscape, views and sunlight.
