The intervention in West Creek Conservancy's barn breathes new life into a structure and site that might otherwise remain dormant—unused and unnoticed. Perched on a grassy berm between a creek and a wetland pond, the barn occupies a uniquely untouched setting. Its isolation from other man-made elements positions it perfectly to act as a steward of the rich, natural environment it inhabits.

Positioned between a creek and a wetland pond, the barn stands in a largely untouched landscape. This rare condition offers a unique opportunity: to reactivate the barn not as a relic, but as a contemporary steward of its environment.

The intervention focuses on the barn’s most compelling spatial asset: a vaulted, open second story of nearly 2,000 square feet. This expansive volume serves as the primary canvas for new programming, events, and gatherings, linking built form to the surrounding landscape.

To support the barn four primary interventions organize the barn: the Structural Shoring of the existing barn, the Earth Ramp, the North Deck, and the Western Balcony Lookout.

The Earth Ramp initiates a new topographic relationship between the site and the barn. Beginning at the creek crossing, the ramp gradually rises to meet the second story, where a metal grate bridge provides direct vehicular access. Simultaneously, the bermed ramp acts as a visual screen, concealing the adjacent parking area and preserving the pastoral arrival sequence.

The North Deck extends the usable floor plate of the second story, projecting outward into the landscape. Its north-facing orientation opens the barn’s activity to the terrain beyond while maximizing southern light exposure to the inhabited program.

The Western Balcony Lookout creates a smaller-scale intervention focused on pause and perspective. This smaller gesture frames the wetland pond and woodlands beyond, acting as a aperture, inviting visual engagement with the broader ecological context.

The Structural Shoring addresses the barn’s aging frame, ensuring the longevity and integrity of the intervention. A network of discreet steel reinforcement and foundation stabilization strategies is introduced, allowing the historic fabric to be preserved while supporting new loads introduced by the ramp and deck extensions.

Collectively, these interventions position the barn not simply as a preserved object, but as an activated, adaptive structure—a steward of the swamp.

West Creek Barn

#Design (6 files)

#Detail (9 files)