This workshop/barn, designed by Springpoint Architects, was a really exciting project for us. It is situated on a rural site on edge of Lake Monroe, on somewhat tricky topography for a barn. The designers took advantage of the grade change to create a basement storage area along the downhill side of the barn, while the main floor has an expansive workspace, restroom, tool rooms, and hardware storage.

The structure of the barn consisted of an internal steel frame with structural insulated panels (SIPs) on the exterior walls and roof. Radiant floor heat throughout, by Commercial Service, provides a really comfortable work-space for wintertime projects, while 3 large overhead doors create ample opportunities for opening the barn up to the exterior in warmer weather. This layout also allows for multiple ways to move large materials and vehicles in and out of the space. 

The interior finishes on the barn include a combination of locally sourced poplar and corrugated panels on the walls and ceiling. The exterior has a more contemporary bent with meticulously hand-tooled, dry-stacked brown county stone by Elite Masonry. The balance of the building is sided with shiplap boral siding.

This was the last big project that Rick McCanse (Uncle Rick, to me) built with us before he retired, along with Ben Jutzi and many others from our team. Uncle Rick’s expertise and skill enabled us to pull together a really special and unique barn for our clients here. I’m so proud of what we accomplished with this project and am more than a little envious of the facility. We miss Uncle Rick daily and this project is a wonderful testament to what he brought to our team and our community.