Barn Extension
Nelson Bay, New Zealand
For architects Dougal Sheridan and Deirdre McMenamin, it was important to accommodate these diverse functional requirements in an extension that would seamlessly integrate with the existing barn and respect the rural qualities of this setting. Therefore, they drew on the forms, materials and construction techniques of the surrounding agricultural structures and designed an autonomous corrugated metal and polycarbonate-clad building form that is interlocked with the barn, without interfering with its formal integrity.
The new extension mediates between the barn and the surrounding landscape. A series of new indoor rooms and outdoor terraces provide physical connections to different areas of the site. The painting gallery has one large folding shop front window, providing an entry point from the road side. Its road frontage allows it also to be used for the sale of farm products. Another large sliding door, derived from traditional barn construction, opens the living spaces to the rural landscape and creates, at the same time, an internal balcony or loggia. A protected deck - like the cockpit of a boat - is recessed into the roof of the extension. It is accessed from both the upper level and the lower deck, and provides a look-out point with enveloping views of local vineyards and the sea beyond.
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