Eco-Village Housing Prototype
Architect // Sheldon Pennoyer Architects
Description
Set in the hills of Vermont, on a 500-acre retreat center, these three prototype housing units were developed as an affordable model for guest accommodation. The buildings serve both the campus and the community, as the retreat center is home to recreational trails, meditation spaces, and event venues. Clustering the units at the heart of the campus reduced the need for vehicle access and consolidated utility costs. The buildings were sited intentionally to preserve privacy from one another while also curating a community of spaces. The gable end walls extend forward, providing both shelter and privacy. Each building is oriented to frame a different view to the hills, to the south, east and west, creating a space for retreat and connection to nature.
Guest House Music Event Space
Merit Award // Excellence in Architectural Design, Residential
Architect // Sheldon Pennoyer Architects
GC // Timothy Groesbeck Construction
Structural Engineer // Annette Dey PE
Landscape Design // Gordon Hayward
Interior Design // Cameron Schwabenton, ASID, LEED AP
Jury Comments
The jury found this project to not only give new life to an old barn - but also to provide a fresh view of the barn conversion project type. The care and effort to reuse an entire barn creates a wonderful place to share the warmth of music or to have an overnight stay. The material palette of blackened steel, locally sourced pine boards, and stacked stone gathered on the site honors tradition while feeling new. The jury found the interior space that combined a desk, seating area, and framed long views to be very successful. The exterior of the project feels contextual while the interior feels fresh. The jury appreciates that the project supports goals of the larger property being Net Zero energy. The architect honored the client’s commitment with a focused attention to detail, a clear material language and interventions that created something new out of something old.
Description
Located on a 400-acre historic farm property, with an active wildlife management program in place, our clients proposed we repurpose an old timber frame barn from a neighboring town that was slated for demolition. Prompted by their longstanding involvement in the local high school’s summer music program, the barn was designed as an event space for music performances and recording, including a guest house for visiting musicians and an office.
