If you have ever been face to face with an emu, you know what my first steps into the North Barn were like in 2016. These were our initial efforts in assisting the Retreat Farm in Brattleboro, VT with master plan visioning of this amazing agricultural gem and its reinforcement as a place for community. In its 190-year-old history, the barn had been through a fire and many adaptations. The emus greeting was follow up quickly by Carlos, the 2000 pound ox who wanted to snuggle while I struggled with my measuring tape. After he got a good scratching, I successfully navigated around pigs, alpacas and goats just to understand this amazing structure.
Fast forwarding 8 years of planning and we are marking the grand re-opening of the renovated North Barn, Brattleboro, VT. This next chapter for the iconic building accommodates a variety of events and celebrations with a seating capacity of 250 for dinner and 600 for concerts and lectures all year round. It enhances the campus support of outdoor events in the adjacent “Square” and compliments the wider educational mission of the Retreat Farm. Banwell Architects is proud to be a contributor to this building and the farm’s legacy.
