An experimental and modern interpretation of a classic barn in Wyoming
The image a lot of people have of Wyoming is one of vast sweeping fields. Perhaps it comes from Hollywood or the Steinbeck sagas that were set in this hard land. Either way, the face of the landscape here has truly been shaped by agriculture. And with rye, barley, sugar beets, oats, beans, and potatoes all grown here, it’s far from difficult to find a barn. It’s more difficult, though, to give one a contemporary reinterpretation.
Working with the owners, CLB Architects did just that in Jackson, Wyoming, giving a modern reinterpretation to the traditional dogtrot barn, with its two separate but connected forms, the house taking its name from the building style.
Located just outside the town of Jackson, the home is set in 18 acres of peaceful meadows with panoramic views of ranchlands, foothills, and Glory Peak. This is where the owners decided to relocate for their retirement and revamp a farm building. The long rectangular structure is connected to a garage by a three-foot-wide roof running between the two. In the area of the roof, a large section has been cut out of the building, lightening its form, and creating a focal point and a dynamic play of light on the staircase that descends below.
The roof of the main structure has an asymmetrically gabled roof. Sheltered outdoor areas are carved out of the main volume and extend on either side, where perforated siding adds texture and provides the covered porches with privacy and protection from the elements.
The exterior has oxidized steel cladding, while the interiors mix steel, glass, and concrete with the warm, light, and rustic feel of larch, which in some places covers the walls to the ceiling and then continues outside. The home’s central open space sits between the kitchen and a cast-in-place concrete fireplace. The bedrooms are at either end of the home and open onto the sheltered terraces.
CLB has found a way to make this a space that’s modern as well as warm, inviting, and highly livable. The owner, the former director of exhibits at the Pittsburgh Children’s Museum, contributed to the project with an excellent eye and drawing his inspiration from nature, which is reflected in the colors and collections. Furnishings include modern lighting (such as the chandelier in the living room); whimsical items, such as stuffed animals from the owners’ collection; and hints of color in the guest and powder rooms, where an abstract design based on brain scans on an orange background injects a sense of vitality into the small space.
Location: Jackson, Wyoming
Project by: CLB Architects Team
Contractor: Matarozzi Pelsinger
Photography by Matthew Millman, courtesy of CLB Architects Team