At night, an old barn glows like a full moon, thanks to its new translucent skin.
Architects Carver + Schicketanz transformed the hand hewn oak skeleton, transporting it from New Hampshire to become an energy-efficient guesthouse for three generations of a family in central California's Santa Ynez mountains.
The 100-year-old barn was disassembled in New Hampshire and then transported to the West Coast, where the frame was rebuilt and covered with light-filtering Kalwall panels. Like traditional windows, the panels let in sunlight. But they provide more privacy than transparent glass and reduce energy costs; the panels, made of a composite that includes 20 percent recycled material, are filled with translucent insulation at custom densities to keep the building warm in winter and cool in summer.
Photographs via Carver + Schicketanz.
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Above: Sited on a 20-acre parcel, the 2,600-square-foot guest house has a solar hot water system, radiant heat—and enormous barn doors that slide open to take advantage of the climate and the views.
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Above: The guesthouse is an example of environmentally sustainable design. In additional to the solar water and radiant heat systems, it has a 2,500-gallon cistern to hold captured rainwater for re-use.
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Above: Interior walls are clad in a variety of materials, including recycled corrugated metal. To raise the first-floor ceiling level, the architects placed 4-foot-high steel columns beneath each of the barn's timber posts.
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Above: A soft glow emanates from the barn, reducing light pollution emissions.
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Above: No air conditioning necessary; thanks to a temperate climate and commodious double-height doors, a fan is the only mechanism necessary to cool it.
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Above: The client sourced many of the furnishings at local flea markets. Kitchen drawers are made of recycled produce crates.
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Above: A water bucket, recycled for use as a bathroom sink.
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Above: Interior sliding barn doors complement the building's exterior finishes.
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Above: Set against a backdrop of oak trees on the client's horse ranch near Santa Barbara, the barn gleams in twilight.
Intrigued by new possibilities for an old barn? Get more ideas from Remodelista's Architect Visit: Barn Conversions.
Another of our favorite stories about how an old barn got a new life is A Stone Barn Saved from Subdivision.