Farmhouse Redux
Western North Carolina
Throughout the mountains of western North Carolina, derelict farmhouses occupy the rural landscapes inherent to the region. Their crumbling ruins echo a bygone era, one that was progressive, prosperous, and sustainable. Situated on 2.3 acres of meadow, Farmhouse Redux was one of these forgotten dwellings, the original home to early settlers of a rural area outside of Boone that was left to decay and slowly disappear from its context. Conceptually and literally, the house has been brought back to life; it has been renovated yet revisits the idea of what a farmhouse can be. With a limited budget, the new owners wanted to salvage as much of the dilapidated structure as possible while reconfiguring the interior space and adding some much needed outdoor living; therefore, the goal was to create a contextual response, one that acknowledged the history of the area’s local inhabitants while updating the small house to meet the needs of modern living. Similar to many vernacular homesteads, Farmhouse Redux is a modest residence, in both size and architectural features, that uses local building materials and traditions, which was the primary sustainable design strategy employed by the architect. The architecture of the dwelling intends to be contextual through its form, colors, materials, and structure, serving as a modern abstraction of the local vernacular buildings, which are framed by the house using various methods. In homage to more primitive and resourceful times, a considerable amount of lumber salvaged during the demolition process was reused, while the new hardwood flooring, wood lap siding and interior v-groove paneling was harvested and milled locally. Also, the home does not contain an HVAC system, but is naturally ventilated during the summer and heated with a wood stove in the winter, while a closed crawlspace, dehumidifiers and sprayed-in insulation provide an energy efficient envelope.
