Glen Ellen Big Barn | Uncrate

Borrowing from the agrarian vernacular, Faulkner Architects builds the Glen Ellen Big Barn in northern California. An existing tack barn that’s been converted into a bunkhouse works as inspiration for the family retreat, forming the exterior’s simple rectangular silhouette and asymmetrical gabled roof. Deepening the reference, reclaimed redwood and corrugated Corten steel clad the exterior. To reduce disruption to the site, the continuous form is excavated uphill and cantilevers over the hillside while a steel bridge at the top of the hill gives the upper-level sleeping quarters direct access to the neighboring tack barn. A restrained material palette along with integrated gutters and a lack of overhangs give the exterior a sleek, minimal appearance. Internally, California oak lines the floors and ceilings of the living spaces, and black steel windows frame in views of the pastoral landscape.

Photos: