Barndominium Build for Farm and Studio Living
New Construction
Create a comfortable, efficient barn apartment that could serve as the long-term home base for a working farmstead, while also providing flexible space for storage, workshop, and studio use.
Project Goals
This new construction project combined a 1,500 square foot apartment, an 800 square foot covered patio, and a 2,000 square foot garage into a flexible barndominium designed to support everyday living and the needs of a family farm. Beyond the layout itself, the project prioritized energy efficiency and long-term performance through features such as rock wool and foam board insulation, a ductless mini split heat pump, a heat pump water heater, and exceptionally strong airtightness at 1.5 ACH-50 without spray foam. The result is a highly functional space designed for comfort, resilience, and long-term use.
Highlights
Services Involved:
New Construction
Excavation
Footings and Foundation
Metal Framing
Wood Framing
Window and Door Installation
Plumbing
Electrical
HVAC
Insulation
Drywall
Cabinets
Countertops
Tile
Flooring
Trim Work
Blower Door Testing
Infrared Scan
Solar PV electricity production with battery storage (completed after construction by owners)
Building the apartment within the shell of the larger metal structure required a lot of creative problem solving. In many ways, the project felt like constructing a structure within a structure, where the goal was to create a sturdy, comfortable, and draft-free living space inside the metal building shell. Insulation was another key challenge, especially at the floor over the concrete slab, where alternative methods were needed to achieve the desired level of performance.
Existing Challenges
The completed project created a comfortable and resilient home base with flexible living and working space, low operating costs, and the kind of long-term durability needed for everyday farm life.
Outcome
John's initial quote was thorough and accurate, and he continued to look for ways to cut costs without sacrificing quality. His approach is rooted in energy efficiency, and we appreciated his thoughtful consideration of every option. Since we weren't local at the time, that could have been a real challenge, but John kept us informed every step of the way through emails and texts whenever decisions were needed. We knew our home would be built to code with skilled tradespeople and careful oversight.
~ P.B.
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