Collection by Joseph Stafford
Barn Houses
A centuries-old blue oak stands near the intersection of the two wings of the house, which is clad in Alaskan yellow cedar. “We decided to split the house into two volumes to let in light and allow us to be more nimble with where we placed the structures.” Jess Field, the architect.
Project architects Studio Marshall Blecher and Jan Henrik Jansen Arkitekter opened up the center of the house, previously comprising a maze of fourteen small rooms, creating one large and airy kitchen and dining space with a high, chapel like ceiling. A six-meter-long concrete plinth standing at the center of the room which doubles as an island bench and dining table, had to be lowered into the house by a crane while the roof was being reconstructed.
Glass sliders running the length of the interior can close off the living space, or retract for a wide-open connection to the dining area, patio, and pool.
The corner is the family’s favorite gathering spot—“a contemporary cave for three,” says Serge. Luisa’s module, with its cactus-lined terrace, is visible through the glass wall.
The organic placement of the windows echoes the knots on the trunks of the surrounding trees.
