mork ulnes architects turns barn into artist studio + workshop

attached to an ‘ameoba-like pavilion’, norwegian firm mork-ulnes architects / SFOSL have transformed and extended a dilapidated barn in sonoma county, california, into a residence-cum-artist studio.

image © bruce damonte

measuring at 2,500 square feet, the distinctive property features an inverted butterfly roof which accommodates a spacious artist’s studio and an office. mork-ulnes architects developed a space that seamlessly establishes an indoor and outdoor setting. in the extension and interrupting the concrete floor, parts of the floor has been filled with compost and planted with bamboo, aloes and various exotic plants.

the inverted pitch roof creates sweeping double height spaces for art production and storage
image © bruce damonte

the art studio is located within the vernacular barn. the traditional gabled roof has been inverted to create a double height space for creativity and storage, with views out towards the surrounding landscape. wood is the main construction material; the 100-year old reclaimed bar siding has been re-used as the contrasting cladding seen on the home’s external envelope.

the roof is an exposed wood, scissor-beam roof construction with a large skylight that brings light into the space
image © bruce damonte

‘lars wanted an outdoor kitchen and dining room that he could use year-round,’ says architect casper mork-ulnes ‘the idea was to let the landscape bleed in and out of the building. he imagined it as a jungle, with exotic plants, such as papaya, banana, and mango, inside and out.’

on the outside, the contemporary extension ‘the ameoba’ visually reaches out into the landscape and inside, the open-plan kitchen and dining sits within the S-curved cement walls, which keeps the thermal mass balanced during the summer and winter. the interior embraces nature and the outdoors, capturing the landscape to create a lush landscape of taro, fig, and bamboo that softly separates the kitchen from the dining area.

a 720 square feet concrete kitchen and dining space grows out from the studio
image © bruce damonte

for this project the architects used adaptive re-use strategies for most of the building materials, and minimized unnecessary glazing where possible. thermally broken window frames, formaldehyde-free insulation, sustainable FSC certified milled wood were recycled and used, which resulted in the reduction of waste.

the structure has eight-inch-thick s-curved cement walls which helps in controlling thermal mass
image © bruce damonte