Blanco Residence

An existing stone barn served as the inspiration and anchor for this 3,200 square foot residence in the Texas Hill Country. The barn was renovated and converted into the main house. The second floor of the barn, once a hay loft, became an open space encompassing the living room and kitchen, with three bedrooms and two bathrooms on the first floor. Dormers added to the north and south roof walls provide ventilation and offer views of the Hill Country. The barn and studio are connected by an angled screened porch, which pivots at a large live oak tree. The screened porch follows the outline of the barn’s gambrel roof with a steel frame. A catwalk near the tree offers a direct path between living room and studio. A folding glass wall on the living room side, and French doors at the studio, provide natural ventilation.

This project required sensitivity to both the natural environment and the historic barn. Where possible, we left the original barn materials (stone, wood and tin) exposed, and tried to keep the material palette for the new structures complementary.

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