Abstract:
The state of most midwest vernacular architecture today is one of picturesque decay. As a see of mediocre residential architecture pours over the landscape, historic barns will offer a rare backward glimpse into our past.But is it a backward glimpse? Or a stepping stone forward to a better future? The lessons of time-tested construction methods and materials, energy saving concepts of living with the seasons and the diversity of crops grown before WWII have been lost to today’s agricultural society. Farms are bigger. Machinery is bigger. Animal operations are bigger still. Buildings are manufactured. Homes are equipped to battle the elements. Crops are grown in large abundancies of very limited variety.The farmstead, based on age-old philosophies and existing simultaneously with today’s suburban sprawl, can offer many rich cultural and educational experiences. Adaptation of the Kiser Barn at 4101 West 116th Street to a contemporary marketplace and herb barn will provide an opportunity for vernacular architecture to be integrated back into its diminishing context. Designed for social interaction and education, the marketplace and surrounding buildings will demonstrate environmentally sound ideas such as recycling buildings, solar heating, composting waste, and producing locally. The farmstead will also be a manifestation of the potential for new construction to learn from the old, while maintaining its own unique character. By experiencing the farmstead, visitors will gain a new respect and understanding for their agronomous cultural heritage.
