Alchemists live in the Midwest and we love barns. Our clients love barns. Alchemy looked to some great barn elements: lofted spaces, large openings, slatted walls, and functional nooks, to design the Blair BarnHouse located in rural Wisconsin. The plan takes inspiration from 19th century Midwest barns and updates that for 21st Century living.

As Barn Space, it features an open 2-story room with two volumes inserted within. One in steel, the other in ash strips, they provide under- and over-spaces like a hayloft. Barn siding provides light filtering through a few—but large—openings, and along with an open kitchen/living area, there is a sleeping loft/guest area, and bedrooms in the lower “cellar” level. A front porch with sliding entry doors and large window openings provides a welcoming, light-filled, and airy entrance from the surrounding fields.