How To Turn A Barn Into A House Sustainably
Metus dictum at tempor commodo
Chasing Green Design
Naylor admires the work of pioneering green architect William McDonough, the only individual to receive the Presidential Award for Sustainable Development. “I am especially taken by his idea that rather than trying to figure out how to lessen our effect on the Earth, we should instead do more to make the Earth better,” Naylor says.
“As it turned out, my son knew McDonough, who allowed me to call upon his firm for advice, providing I did all the work,” she recalls. In this case, “the work” meant extensive research to find the best materials and most efficient appliances. In addition, Naylor traced each component all the way back to its source to measure the fuel and air pollution involved in bringing it to her site. Whenever possible, she used local materials.
Once she knew exactly what she wanted, Naylor hired Baltimore architect George Holback to draw up the plans. Holback seldom does residential work, but he is interested in sustainable building and admired his client’s commitment to creating a house with minimal barriers between herself and the natural world.
Preserving the Barn
The barn, which is built into the side of a hill, was left almost entirely in its original state, although some parts were reconfigured. The top floor was transformed into a large, high-ceilinged living room. Floors made of old wooden planks were sanded to remove the chemical sealers and left unfinished. Naylor converted the adjoining tack room into her bedroom, and two box stalls with their original doors still in place into bedrooms for visiting grandchildren. The remaining upper horse stalls were divided from the living space by sliding barn doors and left as a home for the chickens that provide eggs for Naylor’s family and her grandson’s egg delivery business.
Downstairs, Naylor turned the old milk room into a cozy sitting room and reconfigured two standing stalls to make the kitchen. One of two box stalls now serves as the utility room while the other has become a dining room that seats up to eight people.
Relying on the Sun
Because Naylor shared McDonough’s vision that buildings should rely on sunlight for heat and illumination, she decided to live entirely off the grid. Water for the kitchen and the bathroom is heated by solar power. Downstairs, hot water piped through tubes beneath the concrete floor provides radiant heat.
The upstairs is heated by south-facing windows during the day and a wood-burning stove at night. Even during the hot, muggy Maryland summers, the barn’s doors and windows allow excellent cross ventilation that keeps the house comfortable. For extra air circulation, there’s a ceiling fan in the great room, though it’s seldom used. The concrete floors downstairs, treated to look like stone but left unsealed, help keep the area cool.
