Mark W. Todd Architects had the pleasure to be the architect to preserve a Pre-Civil War barn and incorporate it into a home. The homeowners wanted the barn to be a home feature but still have the traditional home atmosphere. The barn was built by an Amish community in the 1800s in upstate New York and then moved to Texas to bring back to life in a complete new way. Designing this home had different challenges than most homes as there were certain requirements and desires to preserve the barn’s history. The home needed to stay within the exterior of the existing structure. The focal beam in the house has original name carvings which can be seen in the upper loft. Beams could only move up to one foot to uphold the integrity of the initial structure. The thoughtfulness to preserve any wooden piece from the structure was important. Any wood remnant from the barn was used for the exterior truss and furniture pieces.
The relationship to the surroundings were also important when designing this home. Since this home was a lakefront property, large windows were incorporated in the home to take of the beautiful views. The Master Bedroom even has three wall butte glass to be surrounded by the view. The homeowners wanted a rustic open concept home to set up for entertaining. The great room is open to the kitchen and the sunken in bar. Another unique feature from the home is a ladder located at a stairway landing that leads to a sitting room which overlooks the great room. A secret door is in the sitting room that leads to a bunk room that overlooks the guest room.
Every detail of this home has been thought out from the wood accents to the placement of the home to the preservation of a historical barn. This is what makes this home truly unique.