Daniel Chester French, most famous for creating the seated Abraham Lincoln for the memorial in Washington D.C., once owned this barn that is now a museum owned by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. French himself had made successive additions to the barn to shelter carriages, animals, and tools. His additions were direct, economical, and distinct. During this most recent intervention, the architects opted to follow French’s approach and created an addition that would be pragmatic and identifiable—what a farmer would do.

The program called for an addition that included an entry, museum shop, display and storage space, and a public restroom. The architects split the addition’s program into two components, separating the museum shop from the storage and public restrooms. These components were given distinct architectural expressions; the museum shop is inspired by basic metal agricultural structures—like Quonset huts or Butler buildings—and it reuses pre-existing foundations, cantilevering over them. Storage and restrooms are accommodated in a rebuilt "chicken shack," whose salvaged doors are incorporated in the new construction. The architects also restored the barn to house a permanent exhibition.


People

Owner:
National Trust For Historic Preservation

Owner's Project Team:
William Dupont, Aia, Project Director For The National Trust
Linda Jackson, Curator, Chesterwood Estate And Museum

Architect:
Francoise Bollack Architects
218 Madison Avenue
New York, Ny 10016.
Tel.: (212) 686-0832
Fax: (212) 679-0571
E-mail: fb@francoisebollackarchitects.com
www.francoisebollackarchitects.com

Principal In Charge:
Francoise Bollack, Aia

Project Manager - Design Phase:
Sarah Diaz

Project Manager - Construction Phase:
Charles Huang

Engineer(s)
Structural Engineer:
Robert Silman Associates

M/E/P & Life Safety Engineer:
Landmarks Facilities Group
- Principal In Charge:
Ernest Conrad
- Project Engineer For Mechanical And Plumbing: Ken Eldridge
- Project Engineer For Electrical:
Eleanor Yee

Consultant(s)
Cost Control:
V.J. Associates

General Contractor
T & J Construction
John Salvini

Photographer
– Norman Mc Grath (212) 799-6422
– Michael Devonshire

 

 

Products

Structural System
Plate Nailed Wood Trusses:
P & R Truss Co., Hudson, Ny 12534

Exterior Cladding
Corrugated Metal Wall Panels & Standing Seam Metal Roof:
Galvalume Panels By Berridge Manufacturing Co., Houston, Texas.

Roofing
Vapor Barrier:
Tyvek Home Wrap

Windows
Wood:
Weather Shield www.weathershield.com

Interior Finishes
Cabinetwork And Custom Woodwork:
T & J Contractors

Paints And Stains:
Benjamin Moore www.benjaminmoore.com

Floor And Wall Tile:
Floor Tile In Entry, Storage And Restroom – American Olean www.americanolean.com

Carpet:
Masland Contract

Lighting
Interior Lighting:
– Lucifer www.luciferlighting.com
– Leucos
– Lightolier www.lightolier.com
– Dual Lite www.dual-lite.com

Exterior:
Spj Lighting

Plumbing
Plumbing Fixtures:
Kohler www.kohler.com