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The Mason Lane Farm Operations Facility is a new complex for farm equipment servicing, re-fueling & storage, as well as providing seasonal storage for grain & hay. The facility supports a 2,000-acre property utilized for agriculture, recreation, wildlife habitat and conservation purposes.

The facility program includes: enclosed storage for farm vehicles & implements, covered (roofed) hay & equipment storage, grain storage, insulated work area & tool storage, farm manager’s office, kitchenette, shower area, recycling area, and vehicle fueling station. Incorporating design strategies rooted in the simplicity of regional farm buildings, the project employs sustainable strategies that are decidedly 'lowtech', favoring simple construction methods & ordinary materials over specialized systems.


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SOUTH VIEW OF FACILITY: The porous gravel surface of the complex is sloped to channel excess stormwater into 'rain gardens' planted with native vegetation (in foreground), allowing water to percolate back into local aquifers.


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EAST VIEW OF FACILITY FROM MEADOW: Seen from the surrounding countryside, Barn 'B' appears as a large-scale gateway into the complex.
Consolidating the various programmatic elements into two barn buildings and a grain silo, the majority of the project site is allocated to the circulation & access requirements of large-scale farm equipment. Taking advantage of the existing topography, the porous, drivable gravel surfaces are pitched to channel stormwater into two 'rain gardens' planted with native vegetation. Excess run-off is collected within these basins and allowed to percolate back into the ground water table. In order to minimize maintenance, building roof gutters are eliminated and replaced with 'site gutters', a system of drivable, shallow concrete swales located below each roof eave, which directs stormwater to the collection basins. The remainder of the project site is planted with native & regionally-adapted plants that do not require irrigation.


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VIEW OF BARNS 'A' & 'B': The two barns address differing equipment & material storage needs for the farm. Clad in corrugated metal siding, Barn 'A' contains insulated work areas, while Barn 'B' is designed as a covered, open-air shed. Both barns utilize the surrounding gravel areas as extensions of equipment work zones.
Barn 'A', with fully enclosed storage & work areas, utilizes a prefabricated wood truss frame clad with corrugated metal panels. Interior finishes employ common building materials (pressure-treated wood planks, oriented-strand board panels, particle board, and homasote) that are detailed to emphasize the layering of construction and to reveal the 'raw' natural finishes of each component. Building elements that are typically hidden, such as fastening screws & alignment lines, are incorporated as design features. Insulated areas are heated through heating coils embedded within the concrete slab, and utilize an external boiler fired with wood debris from the property. Natural light is provided to all interior spaces through fullheight operable windows.

Barn 'B', a large covered shed used to store both hay & equipment, is clad in a lattice grid of locally-harvested bamboo. Considered a fast-growing invasive 'weed', the bamboo is a material nod to the square-bale hay that is stacked at each end of the barn, while also providing a breathable skin that allows the hay to dry.


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BAMBOO LATTICE DETAIL [BARN 'B']: Bamboo poles, arranged three layers deep, are tethered with galvanized re-bar wire. The hand-twisted metal ties are left exposed to create a secondary pattern of texture visible at close range.


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VIEW OF INSULATED TOOL STORAGE ROOM [BARN 'A']: Employing a 'reductive' strategy of interior finishes, the project celebrates the natural color & texture inherent to common materials. Manufacturer-drawn guidelines on OSB panels are left exposed to create a decorative 'siding' pattern on upper wall areas.


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VIEW FROM INSULATED SHOP AREA LOOKING TOWARD BARN 'B': Interior finishes utilize a simple material palette of sealed concrete floors and wall panels of OSB, particle board and Homasote planks.


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VIEW OF BARN 'A' EQUIPMENT STORAGE AREA: 'Drive-through' capability for each barn facilitates circulation and movement of large-scale farm equipment & materials.
CONSTRUCTION TYPE, MATERIALS, MECHANICAL SYSTEMS, & OTHER PERTINENT INFORMATION:

BUILDING CONSTRUCTION [Exterior Envelope]: Pre-fabricated wood trusses, pressure-treated wood framing, high fly-ash concrete slab on grade, concrete piers, prefinished corrugated metal panels (siding & roof), locally harvested bamboo, galvanized wire ties, insulated glazing (fixed & operable windows), wire-glass.

FINISH MATERIALS [Interiors]: Pressure-treated 2x wood planks, formaldehyde-free OSB, formaldehyde-free MDF, Homasote (paper-fiber panels), wood screws, linoleum tiles. Water-based, formaldehyde-free, odorless sealant on all interior surfaces.

MECHANICAL SYSTEMS: Natural ventilation & daylight, in-slab heating coils with wood-fired boiler, florescent light fixtures on timers with manual override, low-flow toilet & water fixtures

LANDSCAPING: Zero-irrigation native and regionally-adapted plants, locallysourced decomposed granite aggregate (gravel), stacked limestone (retaining walls), rain gardens (stormwater retention basins)


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VIEW OF BARN 'A' INSULATED TOOL STORAGE (STAIR DETAIL)


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BARN 'A' FARM MANAGER'S OFFICE: The articulation of Homasote & particle board panels - in thin-strip, plank and full panel modules - defines a more intimate & tactile scale within the office space.


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BARN 'A' FARM MANAGER'S OFFICE [WALL DETAIL]: The deliberate layering of framing & finish materials is typical of all interior spaces. Installation elements that are typically obscured, such as screw heads and panels joints, are left exposed and detailed as a design element.


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BARN 'A' ELEVATION DETAIL: Operable vertical windows along the west façade - a nod to traditional tobacco barn openings - provide natural light & ventilation into interior spaces. Projecting vertical fins frame each aperture to control direct sun.

SUSTAINABILITY:
In concert with the Owner's principles for responsible stewardship of the land, the project incorporates sustainable strategies that are rooted in the specificity of the site & program. In particular, the environmental emphasis of the project has been guided by a local & regional focus that places importance on low cost/low maintenance approaches. The project has been submitted for a Leadership In Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) Gold Level certification and includes the following elements:

• In addition to being a working farm and wildlife habitat, the property serves as an astronomical observation site for local university students. 'Dark Sky' conditions are preserved through controlled design of illumination levels & limiting of light power densities beyond the project boundary.
• Drivable site paving for farm equipment circulation is completely pervious
• 'Heat Island Effect' is minimized through high solar reflectance indexes (SRI’s) of roof & site materials
• The complex incorporates only native & adapted plants that require no potable water use or permanent irrigation
• Only water efficient fixtures are used, including a low-flow toilet and faucets
• Use of a pre-fabricated kit-of-parts building system and modular materials minimized construction waste
• Ample natural light within interior work areas reduces energy needs
• The majority of construction materials are either locally sourced or come from within a 500-mile radius of the project site
• The majority of construction materials have high recycled content or come from rapidly renewable resources; construction waste separated & recycled.
• There is zero use of CFC-based refrigerants

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SITE PLAN: The project site is bound by a rural highway and a farm access drive. Located against an existing tree buffer, the majority of program components are consolidated into two barns and a grain silo. The landscaping is comprised of native & regionally adapted plants that require no irrigation once established.


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SITE PLAN [SYSTEMS]: Diagram of primary mechanical systems include a septic field (in green), in-slab heating with wood-fired boiler (in red), and a site-wide stormwater collection strategy with 'rain gardens' (in blue). Scrap wood & debris collected from the property is used as the primary fuel source for the boiler.


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SITE PLAN [CIRCULATION]: The majority of the project site is allocated to circulation & access requirements for large-scale farm equipment, including drive-through integration with Barns 'A' & 'B'.


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PLAN & SECTION [BARN 'B']: Also utilizing a modified kit-of-parts building system, Barn 'B' is designed as a 'pull-through' shed for storing large-scale equipment and hay bales.

De Leon & Primmer Architecture Workshop
Leon & Primmer Architecture was founded in 2002 as a design studio focusing on civic & cultural environments.

The office is grounded on exploring the possibilities in which architecture may enrich the community through both design and the collaborative process of consensus-building. Emphasis is being placed on a methodology that is inclusive and open-ended.

The work draws inspiration from local & regional traditions of craft and building, and the specificity of a project site.

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