A building that started life as a 19th century pig barn gets a new life.
The client came to us with a building that was originally used as a pig barn in the 19th century. They chose not to demolish the barn, but to invest in its bucolic charm and history. The house is at the end of a canyon road set in meadow pasturelands. The canyon hills and groves of cypress trees filter ocean wind into cool breezes. In the 1950's, the barn was made partially habitable, however all of those "improvements" needed to be removed and redone. No exterior walls were moved; the shape of the house is the same as the original barn. All work was done from inside to outside.There were three main alterations planned. A wide deck added at the rear extended the living area out into the canyon meadow. New windows were strategically planned for views and heightened romance. And third, the walls and ceilings over the newly combined living and dining areas were opened for height and views.
The 100-year-old barn framing had to be renovated. The entire structure was opened and brought to code. The one structural alteration was to raise the ceiling and roof over the combined living and dining area. New exposed structural members were designed to mimic the barn style construction. New headers allowed a long span of French doors and clerestory windows for expansive views and northern light.A building that began life as a utilitarian part of a farm is now a wonderful new family home.
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