The Big Barn – A Modern Family Retreat Inspired By Its Rustic Surroundings
After purchasing a piece of land in Northern San Francisco, the owners asked studio Faulkner Architects to help them build their new home, a large 4,000 square foot structure which they dubbed The Big Barn. There was already a farmstead on the site, an old, abandoned barn from the 1950s.
The architects used it as a source of inspiration for the design of the new structure, while also being inspired by the town’s agricultural history, the neighboring houses and the surroundings in general. At the same time, one of their main objectives was to turn this into a sustainable retreat with a modern design and structure. The result is an eclectic building with lots of character.
The new barn has a simple and rectangular footprint, with volumes that slightly cantilever on one side over the hillside and an asymmetrical gable roof to top it all off. As mentioned before, it draws inspiration from the existing old barn and other neighboring structures but at the same time follows a minimalistic overall aesthetic. On the outside it’s clad in reclaimed wood and corten steel and its openings are quite peculiar. On the sides, tall and narrow windows with shutters and recessed into the walls the same as the entrance and there’s a big glazed section in one of the corners which opens the living areas to the serene views. Inside, the design makes use of natural materials and earthy colors and thus the spaces has a modern farmhouse-inspired vibe.
