Human language and memory are tied to a sense of place, and barns mean a lot to horse folks. As an architect, I’m drawn to understand the magic of place, and I love to share it with others.
In this article, let’s explore four lessons learned from our barns, the “place of horses.”
Lesson 1: A Sense of Place
It is early in the morning. The fields are wet with dew or frosted over. The horses are in their stalls, and they nicker as you roll wide the big door. Yellow sunlight spills into the aisle, and you breathe deeply. Today will be a good day.
What is it about the barn, beyond the horses themselves, that inspires feelings of peace and well-being? I believe that the barn inherently evokes strong emotions and activates our deepest understanding of a “sense of place.”
Lesson 2: A Shelter that Opens and Closes
The concept of shelter is a primal feeling of a roof overhead and protecting walls. Your horse feels sheltered in his stall. The barn is different and magical because it is a shelter that opens wide when the weather is warm, and locks down when the winds blow. We can learn a lot from the power of this idea.
Build your own barn with many large, operable doors and windows to create a shelter that transforms with the time of day and the seasons.
Lesson 3: Rhythm and Order
The space inside a stable is organized with a series of repeating elements—stall fronts and columns, buckets and blankets. These are all along an extended, straight aisle. Add the dramatic contrast of sunlight and shadow, and being in a barn feels a lot like standing among the rows of trees in an orchard.
Design your barn to reinforce a strong visual rhythm. This is calming to the mind. Acknowledge the center of the space with a feature such as a cupola.
Lesson 4: Barns Represent Permanence
Barns tend to be large and substantial structures. Historically, the horse stable was viewed to be the most valuable structure on a farm. Thus, they have always functioned, and still remain, as semi-permanent structures.
A structure with great value and history develops a lovely patina. Some people believe that the building also absorbs something from the humans and animals that pass through. Spend a moment in an old barn and feel the persistent echo of years, tears, laughter, and secrets.
Build your barn to last.
Final Words
The barn is the place of horses. Like horses, the building is beautiful, rhythmic, substantial, and flexible. Step across the sunlit threshold into your own barn and think for a moment about the profound effect that this place has on your daily experiences, and ultimately on your memories.
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