BARBARA BESTORBILL BICKFORDJEFF GOODWINSTEVEN RAICHLENAND MORE

MAGAZINE$9.00

P URETCA

FARM FRESH

C H I C A G O ’ SN O R T H W O R K S A R C H I T E C T S C R E AT E S A C O N T E M P O R A R Y FA R M H O U S E

DESIGN

Architect: Northworks Architects, San Francisco, Bill Bickford, Partner Text: Kendra BoutellPhotographer: Werner Straube

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Red barns dot the rural topography of Drift-

less Wisconsin where Amish horse-drawn

buggies travel the roads. The verdant coun-

tryside untouched by glaciers during the last

ice age is where nineteenth-century settlers

and their descendants have farmed for gen-

erations. It reflects a slower paced life when

people lived close to the land. One Chicago

family of four with roots in the area wanted

to explore this heritage for their second home.

The husband grew up on a 200-acre family

farm in Iowa County. To create a modern

barn style residence on the property, he and

his wife hired the Chicago based firm North-

works Architects. The architecture, and plan-

ning company with satellite offices in Phila-

delphia, San Francisco, and Jackson, WY. is

known for their classic yet forward-thinking

designs. Partner Bill Bickford and principal

John Zeien drew upon regional agrarian archi-

tecture while making the house sustainable

with advanced technology.

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Brickford and Zeien sighted the 2,400 sq. Ft.

contemporary farmhouse next to the proper-

ty’s original 100-year-old barn. Northworks

carefully harvested the materials from the

derelict structure. Local craftspeople built

furnishing from salvaged oak planks, and the

limestone foundation translated into the new

pool enclosure. The three-level home features

a timber roof truss construction, red cedar

siding, and a tin-coated copper roof.

While the silhouette of the building refer-

ences, traditional vernacular an expansive

glass facade maximizes the views of rolling

meadows. On the main floor, Northworks

flanked a massive limestone indoor-outdoor

hearth with sliding glass pocket doors. An

open floor plan showcases a contiguous liv-

ing, dining, family rooms, and kitchen. The

generous roof overhang extends the livable

footprint. Descending to the lower floor, vis-

iting friends and family stay in the two guest

suites and bunk room.

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To access the top level, where a bridge links a

loft office to the private master suite, Bickford

and Zeien installed a dramatic wood and metal

cantilevered staircase. Throughout the house,

rustic furnishings mix with mid-century clas-

sics. The completed modern barn provides

the perfect rural getaway for the homeown-

ers who love the outdoors and entertaining.

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