Relying on Voith & Mactavish Architects, this Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, family was convinced to make a change and transform the early 1900s barn into their primary residence. In the conversion, the original wooden structure of the barn is retained, giving the house a strict tripartite layout. The stone and wood-clad walls are also retained8
A makeover from an early 20th-century barn to a family home in Pennsylvania
"If you're going to go through all these problems, then you're going to want to live there," Daniela Holt Voith, founding partner and design director of Voith & Mactavish Architects, tells her client, referring to the renovation. The early 20th-century barn, used until the intervention as a play and guest space, is adjacent to the farmhouse that has been the family's main home for 25 years
The necessary insulation of the building envelope was added from the outside to preserve the view of the historic finishes from the inside. To encourage upward openness, the barn structure was selectively removed and then reinforced to re-elevate the two exterior bays flat. Two walkways connect the two sides of the newly inserted floor that houses the master suite, a bedroom and an office
A triple-height glazed wall connects the dining room, the upper porch and the garden. The floor level of the ground floor was lowered by excavation to provide the appropriate height for a guest room and family room
The barn courtyard was transformed into a garden where, in a stone terrace under the porch, there is a spa heated by the outdoor fireplace built into the barn wall. Paved paths and a new garden inspired by wild greenery lead to the newly constructed space
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Voith & Mactavish Architects
2401 Walnut Street, 6th floor, Philadelphia PA 19103 1 Whitehall Street, Suite 1400, New York NY 10004