Collapsing Barns Inspired This Green Retreat (That’s Built to Last)

Not all clients would let their architect run with a collapsing-barn concept for their home. But for Alan and JoNell Solander and their son, Carl, principal at Reverse Architecture, in Massachusetts, the idea helped marry their traditional and his more modern leanings. The couple, who previously lived in a 1900s Auburn farmhouse, are drawn to rural landscapes. For his part, Carl “wanted to capture the poise between something built and about to return to nature.” The resulting Falmouth dwelling features a dramatic gambrel roof that nearly grazes the ground at the western entrance and slopes upward on the long southern facade, filling the interior with light. Punctures in the entry roof dapple the slate walls and inspired a two-tone stone path by Falmouth’s Gnome. Geothermal heating/cooling and solar panels that offset half of the couple’s annual electricity use, meantime, ensure the building is ready for the next century.