Aldrich added shims and horizontal blocking, creating a frame-within-a-frame, and then lined the walls with plywood. “We made a decision that we wouldn’t cut any of the primary frame members,” says Steve, FAIA. “The window sizes had to fit within the stud spacing. Originally, we intended to have larger windows on the north, but this is tornado alley; we wanted the building to be as stiff as possible.” Twenty feet wide and 24 feet long, the barn had a slatted crib wall that divided the interior in half lengthwise along its east-west axis. This lightweight wall also drew a line between two different types of construction. “The south half had sliding barn doors on the west and east and a dirt floor for trucks to drive through and deliver hay,” Steve says. “The north half had a concrete floor used primarily for corn storage, VOL. 6, 2024 Custom built-ins maximize every inch of living space. Steve crafted the sofa, and the bench in the dining nook was made from a fallen tree on the family’s city property. RESIDENTIALDESIGNMAGAZINE.COM 47
Residential Design Vol 6 2024: Page 47
