Building the Barn

A studio is a home of sorts, it houses tools permanently, materials temporarily, and the constantly shifting energy of creativity eternally.

I began designing my studio as a machine for creativity with passive energy systems throughout. Where to plant the building was the first question. Shaded by a row of monterey cypress over 150 years old, i placed the building just far enough away that the sun could still spill over their towering canopies and wash the roof with light while shading the otherwise impractical black metal facade black. Positioned as close as possible to the street to minimize disruption to the soil, a larger driveway had to be cut into the land with strategic and subtle curves, it is now wide enough for a 53-foot semi-truck trailer.

The skylights and windows peer out unto the countryside while embedding the work with natural light. Their careful placement allows them to draw in deep breaths of fresh air and exhale a fine mist of sawdust aided by extra wide and tall overhead doors that climb up the ceiling and provide a seamless transition from indoors to outdoors. With these monolithic doors and a large exterior concrete pad, i eliminated the interior dead space that is often devoured by forklift access and forced myself to interact with the outdoor environment every time i have to move large pieces from one side of the shop to the other.

This move alone has forced me into the rain that i used to run from in the city, causing surprising moments of delight such as watching the rain raise the grain of a freshly planed table surface, an important step in ensuring the success of a natural oil/wax finish.

I designed the building around the ideal machine layout, rather than the layout to the building.

Preferring to store the slabs and lumber vertically, the way they are found in nature, i pushed and pulled the ceiling while optimizing the pitch for solar panel sunbathing. The expansive roof takes gulps of rain and redirects the water into twenty thousand gallons of storage that irrigates the walnut and fruit orchard, native plants, as well as the garden. And finally, a polished 3,000 square foot concrete pad allows for easy cleanup and rolling of tables throughout the studio.