Norwich Timber Frame Barn Completed

January 12, 2019

Greetings to all, and happy 2019! This is Ariel and I’m here to share some documentation of a barn that Timber Homes completed in Norwich, VT in fall of 2018.

 

This barn was significant for me personally because I’m one of the younger generation here at THVT, and this was an opportunity to develop my design and project management experience with the support of the partners.
The main barn space is 30×36 feet and features a spacious center aisle with double hung sliding doors at either end, and two smaller aisles down the eave walls with smaller sliding doors and lofts above. One loft side is intended for hay bale storage, with ladder access and removable handrails. The other side has staircase access and a fixed handrail with balusters.

There’s a full foundation wall and slab, with solid 2″ hemlock floor boards installed on the ground level. The mixed width boards (8, 10, 12 inches) provide a little irregularity and contrast against the uniformity of the timber frame. Per the client’s idea, there is a nifty concrete curb detail built into the foundation, which allows for the floor boards to be detached in two enclosures for chicken and sheep – exposing the slab beneath, with a little concrete lip around it so it can be mucked out the adjacent doors.

There is also a 14′ wide shed roof running along the entire south facing eave, featuring four rot-resistant white oak posts.

One noteworthy feature of this building is that the structural ridge beam doesn’t extend all the way out to the gable ends of the barn . This was an unusual solution to a number of design constraints that I think really led to something special. In addition to the structural reasons behind this decision, I think it gives the interior of the barn a cathedral-like feel.

I will add that this client’s display of hospitality toward our crew was astounding. It peaked with a batch of fresh baked scones brought out to the frigid worksite atop a heated soapstone slab – an awe inspiring moment for many of us.
We have a full year of exciting work planned for 2019 (not to mention a new gorgeous and soon-to-be-warm shop to work in) so stay tuned and we will keep you posted on what we’re up to. Thanks for reading!