Round Barn? - or - Japanese Style Temple Barn?

[Bob_Skurka]

I've been negotiating with the lovely Mrs_Bob about a barn for quite some time. This year I am making some amount of progress, probably largely due to the increase in jewelry the lovely Mrs_Bob seems to have building up on her dressing area /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

Anyway I'd like to build a barn in 2005 and I really do not want a regular looking barn. I've toyed with the idea of a round barn, which was popular about 80 years ago and there are still several of them in the area I live. They are great for cattle, but not so much for cars, tractors and misc toys. But they are very interesting to look at. So I am very attracted to them. On the other hand, our home is a "prairie" style home which is greatly influenced by Japanese architecture and the father of the prairie movement often referred the link between traditional Japanese structures and prairie structures. So that got me thinking of building a post & beam temple style building for use as a barn. It would not clash with the home, as a round barn is likely to do, in fact I think it would be a nice compliment. But I can't find any plans for them. I have talked to a couple builders about round barns and those can be done, I even had a steel framed round barn designed last year. But nobody seems to have a clue about building a Japanese style structure.

Of course, the lovely Mrs_Bob wants a "prairie" barn with brick exterior, 4' eves and limestone planters built up on piers at each corner, with an apartment that has a bath & kitchenette. So the negotiations are FAR FROM OVER and it would really help if I could provide some information on a Japanese style structure other than showing her pictures of famous temples and gardens and saying "just like this, only the size of a 3 or 4 car garage." As of now, she is softening on the concept of the round barn, but doesn't seem to grasp my concept of a traditional Japanese style structure as a barn.

Any thoughts on where I might be able to get plans or photos of a traditional Japanese style structure that is used as a barn or garage?

 

[Golfgar4]

Bob,

I did a quick search and found East Wind, Inc. , an architectural firm that specilaizes in Japanese style buildings. It looks like there might be some pics you can view and possibly some links to other sites that could help you out.

Oh yeah. Just in case you're still interested in round barns, here are a few pics of some found in Wisconsin. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif Wisconsin Round Barns

Hope this helps. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Bob_Skurka]

Garry, I know from past posts you are ALSO a fan of round barns just like I am. In fact I still like round, but the lovely Mrs_Bob sees it as even less practical than I do and far less appealing parked on our property (even if I promise to put it in the woods!

As for the Japanese link, that is the concept, but I am not looking to build a furniture grade structure to hold tractors, scooters and other toys!!! Their buildings sure look nice and probably wildly expensive if applied to a barn. I may give them a call to see about their design services to see if it can be applied to a barn type structure. The big round/screened window sure was interesting too, might let in a lot of light for working on the toys.

 

[Golfgar4]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( As for the Japanese link, that is the concept, but I am not looking to build a furniture grade structure to hold tractors, scooters and other toys!!! )</font>

I really didn't think you were planning on building anything particularly "fancy". I just figured that there might be some decent pictures of structures that you could use to help you figure out how to convince the lovely Mrs_Bob that your idea had some merit. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

Have you considered talking with a local community college or technical school that has architectural/drafting programs? I know our local technical college is always looking for projects like this to get the students involved with, even if it's just for research.

 

[gsganzer]

How about something that looks like the attachment? The steep roof pitch is nice looking. They have some other nice designs at: http://www.ameristall.net/RaisedCenterAisleBarns.asp

 

[bontai_Joe]

Here are a few sites with pics of "Prairie style Architecture" by Frank Lloyd Wright:

http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/avp/cas/fnart/fa267/FLW.html

http://www.winerack.com/anatomy/frank.htm

And a few sites of interesting prairie type barns:

http://www.ackleyheritagecenter.com/about.htm

http://www.mortonbldgs.com/MortonBuildings.htm

 

[Bob_Skurka]

gsganser . . . the typical ag style barns are what we want to avoid, I think many of them are nice looking but not for our property.

Joe . . . I think I've tried every link on the internet to Frank Lloyd Wright for barns. Our house was designed by a guy who was his partner in the early 1900's and who broke away sometime between 1908 and 1910, our house was designed in 1912 but not built until 1994 when we constructed it (in somewhat modified format). We actually have a nice floorplan and elevation of a pure prairie style structure that would match our home very well, it is about 24 by 36 but it is the plan the lovely Mrs_Bob favors.

If I don't go with a round barn, I think I would favor something that, at least on the exterior is even somewhat more elaborate & traditional than the stuctures the link that Garry provided above. More of a double roof pitched structure like the traditional oriental shrines.

I would likely build it on the slope of the hill so from the front it would be 2 stories and from the back it would be 3 stories. The equipment storage would be from the back side with the implements stored on the lowest level. Of course it would not be as large as the shrine above, nor would it be that elaborate. But perhaps a 30' by 30' square for the lowest and middle level, 20' by 20' for the top? Plus a wrap around porch area at the middle level (which would be ground level from the front).

 

[Henro]

Bob,

I don't think I can help much with your question!

But it brought back memories of a bicycle trip I took a few years ago across the island of Hokkaido and through norther and central Japan.

Hokkaido is more wide open and has a lot of farms that reminded me of Pennsylvania farms. As a matter of fact I asked myself why I was even there ( I was travelling alone and camping out in small parks) as in so many ways Hokkaido reminded me of PA. Especially the farms. I kept thinking man, if the signs were in English I might as be pedalling down a road in rural PA.

So all I can say is your post has me wondering "What the heck does a Japanese barn look like inside anyway???"

I will have to dig deep and see if I can turn up a picture of a Japanese farm just for the fun of it.

I can say without too much question in my mind that a real Japanese barn is probably different than what you might build...

Now Japanese farm houses...they are a different animal and are really neat (at least the traditional ones) with thick straw roofs...naturally curved timber frames...and so on...

A Japanese farm house style barn would be really cool...not sure how you would handle the roof though...

Can't wait to see what you end up doing. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Bob_Skurka]

Henro, my sister lived in Japan for a couple years, she was in 3 different areas (I could point to them on a map but couldn't tell you the names) and she has been of no real help as most of her time was in cities. She did have some pictures of one structure that I am pretty sure was used as a barn. It was a low building, with what looked to be white or light colored stucco walls and a low pitched roof (that was not thatch). I suspect older barns probably looked similar but probably had the thatched roofs you saw. She did say she saw thatched roof houses as well, but again she was in cities for the majority of her time there.

I pretty much figure my "barn" would not look like anything that the Japanese might consider using as a barn. Again, the lovely Mrs_Bob is still strongly favoring a "prairie" style structure that we already have working drawings for! I suspect her least favorite is my sentimental favorite design . . . the round barn. I am really drawn to a temple style as a mixture of interesting style with a higher level of practicality than a round barn and it also would visually fit the property better than a round barn.

I still am on my quest for a nice design. If you or your wife happen to have pictures of structures that you think might work for me I'd love to see you post them.

 

[thcri]

Bob,

I really like the round barns. But I only have one complaint about them. It is really hard to find a corner to pee in?? /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

murph