Located in a small mountain village in Austria, Mark Neuner & Mostlikely Architecture designed “The Barn” to blend in with the more traditional architecture of the area. Wrapped in vertical wooden boards and concrete it has the suggestion of a log house – without the logs. It has the suggestion of a brick house – without the bricks. What it does have is a flow of elements between the natural materials of choice that work in complete harmony with each other. Even the fence that wraps around the property is a combination of the two materials. The other thing “The Barn” has is lots and lots of space. With the large sprawling size of the structure it could easily overwhelm the landscape, but the smart combination of material allows a visual break to what would otherwise be an imposing building – especially when surrounded by snow.
Inside the home the large beams and wide swaths of concrete allow for a huge space both horizontally and vertically. The weight of the concrete walls is in perfect balance with the weight of the ceiling. Light white-washed planks on the floor keep the space feeling light and fresh, even though – due to the climate – windows are kept to a moderate size. The large expanse of ceiling is broken up with the multi directional use of beams. This too, creates a rhythmic pattern that is further emphasized by the concrete walls which, rather then being a solid mass, are broken up into smaller graphic sections. Just past the living area is the stairwell to go up and 3 steps to go down to the kitchen
The kitchen is also accessible behind the staircase that leads upstairs. It is kept to lower cabinets for the two exterior walls. This is easily done without compromising storage due to the large size of the room. With no upper cabinets to worry about, windows are positioned on two sides for maximum daylight. A large table is located in the centre of the room.
