This Barn-Inspired Home Hides A Playroom With Climbing Wall Under Its Gable Roof

November 23, 2023
A modern barn-inspired home.

Tomas Beranek and Arthur Nuss of Global Architects collaborated with client and builder Bram van de Wal to design and complete a barn-inspired modern home in The Netherlands.

The barn house has a natural look and the modern simplicity of timber frame construction. The exterior facade is made of Accoya, a sustainable modified fast-growing wood from production forests, with sliding glass doors that connect to the patio.

A modern barn-inspired home.

The barn house also is equipped with three skylights and 22 solar panels, which ensure an energy-neutral home, with underfloor heating on the ground floor and a heat pump.

The living room and the kitchen share the same area of the home, both of which have wide window sills, which can also be used as a seat in a playful way as sunken frames as the outside become the inside.

A modern kitchen with matte green cabinets, an island, and a deep window sill.
A modern kitchen with matte green cabinets, an island, and a deep window sill.

Sitting at the nearby six-person sitting-dining table that Bram made himself, he says: “This is exactly what we wanted. A spacious space where we can socialize with the whole family, but keep in touch with the children when they play on the floor.”

Plywood has been used as a design element that continues from the wall to the ceiling, and onto the first floor, creating a connection is created between the spaces.

Plywood has been used as a design element in this dining area, and it that continues from the wall to the ceiling, and onto the first floor, creating a connection is created between the spaces.

The stairs to the first floor are the same light-coloured wood as the plywood, creating a cohesive interior.

An open wooden staircase is supported by a steel rail, which also serves as a handrail, but can easily be converted into a bookcase due to its box shape.

The open wooden staircase is supported by a steel rail, which also serves as a handrail, but can easily be converted into a bookcase due to its box shape.

An open wooden staircase is supported by a steel rail, which also serves as a handrail, but can easily be converted into a bookcase due to its box shape.
An open wooden staircase is supported by a steel rail, which also serves as a handrail, but can easily be converted into a bookcase due to its box shape.

The playroom, with its sloped ceiling, has a plywood wall adorned with rock climbing supports, while a colorful rug covers the floor. The white doors in the plywood wall lead to bedrooms and a bathroom.

The playroom, with its sloped ceiling, has a plywood wall adorned with rock climbing supports, while a colorful rug covers the floor. The white doors in the plywood wall lead to bedrooms and a bathroom.

Here’s a look at the architectural drawings for the home.

Architectural drawings for a barn-inspired modern home.

Architectural drawings for a barn-inspired modern home.

Architectural drawings for a barn-inspired modern home.
Photography by John van Groenedaal