Sited in the rural landscape of Michigan’s Irish Hills, the house responds to a request for a modern barn-inspired home while remaining contemporary in its detailing, construction, and spatial organization. The design draws from the region’s agricultural vernacular, using red-painted cedar vertical board cladding contrasted with white corner boards, and concentrates a single, significant transformation on the north elevation.

A traditional gambrel form, framed in heavy timber, is selectively distorted to pull a large window out of plane, extending the roof profile and redefining the building’s silhouette. This deformation accommodates vertical circulation, linking the upper and lower levels while marking a clear departure from the otherwise restrained envelope.

Public spaces occupy the open-plan upper floor, which also includes a large, semi-enclosed outdoor porch. This level can be reached internally or via a long, grass-covered ramp that recalls the earthen hay-loft ramps common in the surrounding agricultural landscape. The lower level, housing private spaces, is wrapped in a stone base that extends to form the ramp and a retaining wall. This stone enclosure defines a protected courtyard onto which the bedrooms open.

With few punched openings, the house maintains the solidity typical of barn structures, while light and air are introduced through calibrated shifts in the cladding. The spacing of the vertical boards varies in response to interior program, allowing for controlled degrees of privacy and daylight. In these areas, the cladding is detailed as a rain screen, balancing environmental performance with material expression.