Vermont

Bank Barn

A reinterpretation of a classic barn building, Bank Barn is a contemporary, high-performance home nestled into a Vermont hillside.

A reinterpretation of a classic barn building, Bank Barn is a contemporary, high-performance home nestled into a Vermont hillside.

Set into a sloping meadow on two board-formed, concrete retaining walls, the structure was embedded into the hillside terrain while concealing garage and service areas below.

Set into a sloping meadow on two board-formed, concrete retaining walls, the structure was embedded into the hillside terrain while concealing garage and service areas below.

A high energy performance home based on a classic farm building, built into its landscape.

Bank Barn is a modern build rooted in traditional hillside barn construction, where structures were embedded into terrain for both ease of access and climate control.

A clean, gabled cedar form perched on two 160-foot-long, concrete retaining walls was anchored directly into the landscape, stabilizing the grade and concealing below-grade garage and mechanical spaces. The main floor offers panoramic views through floor-to-ceiling curtain walls. Central to the structure, a custom-fabricated steel stair was installed as a freestanding element, providing both vertical circulation and sculptural impact without structural dependency on adjacent walls. An exposed steel frame, polished concrete floors, and minimalist millwork create a durable, straightforward material palette. Outdoor living areas—including cantilevered decks, a green roof, a recessed hot tub, and a fire pit—are seamlessly integrated into the building’s footprint.

High energy performance was a project priority from the outset. Early construction modeling drove decisions around insulation, glazing, and mechanical integration. The building envelope features thermally broken R-40 walls and an R-60 roof, achieved with closed-cell polyurethane insulation. A triple-glazed curtain wall system with a 0.15 U-value maximizes thermal performance. Systems include a ground-source geothermal loop tied to water-to-water and water-to-air heating and cooling, and a heat recovery ventilator (HRV) to optimize indoor air quality. Infrastructure for an 18kW solar array positions the home for future net-zero energy operation.

Architecture

Birdseye

Building

Birdseye

Woodwork

Birdseye

Sitework

Birdseye

Landscape

Wagner Hodgson

Environmental Design

Atelier Ten

Photography

Jim Westphalen

Completed

2019

3104 Huntington Road


Richmond, Vermont 05477

Designed by Mikulak Design

© 2025

Birdseye

3104 Huntington Road


Richmond, Vermont 05477

Designed by Mikulak Design

© 2025

Birdseye

3104 Huntington Road


Richmond, Vermont 05477

Designed by Mikulak Design

© 2025 Birdseye