Raising the Barn: Modern Home, Old-Fashioned Design

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Inspired by a country barn, this vacation home on Lake Michigan’s Sturgeon Bay stays warm during frigid Wisconsin winters, thanks to energy-efficient features such as radiant in-floor heating and an air-to-air heat exchanger.
Inspired by a country barn, this vacation home on Lake Michigan’s Sturgeon Bay stays warm during frigid Wisconsin winters, thanks to energy-efficient features such as radiant in-floor heating and an air-to-air heat exchanger.
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Beneath the bowed ceiling, bamboo cabinets and countertops made from a blend of concrete and recycled glass warm up stainless-steel, Energy Star kitchen appliances.
Beneath the bowed ceiling, bamboo cabinets and countertops made from a blend of concrete and recycled glass warm up stainless-steel, Energy Star kitchen appliances.
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Concrete countertops that contain recycled glass add drama to the master bathroom.
Concrete countertops that contain recycled glass add drama to the master bathroom.
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In the winter, the Klobucars' curved ceilings direct warm air to the ventilation tower, where fans blow the heat back toward the home. Zoned radiant in-floor heating keeps toes toasty—but only in rooms where warmth is needed.
In the winter, the Klobucars' curved ceilings direct warm air to the ventilation tower, where fans blow the heat back toward the home. Zoned radiant in-floor heating keeps toes toasty—but only in rooms where warmth is needed.
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The master bedroom occupies its own wing, one of four distinct areas in the house that architect Nathan Kipnis designed for maximum energy efficiency.
The master bedroom occupies its own wing, one of four distinct areas in the house that architect Nathan Kipnis designed for maximum energy efficiency.
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Fans in the house ensure that warm air from the lower-level, high-efficiency stove rises to the second-floor office, where floors are readily renewable bamboo and the view is endless.
Fans in the house ensure that warm air from the lower-level, high-efficiency stove rises to the second-floor office, where floors are readily renewable bamboo and the view is endless.
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To combat cold winters on Lake Mighigan, an energy-efficient wood stove in the family room warms the air throughout the open space.
To combat cold winters on Lake Mighigan, an energy-efficient wood stove in the family room warms the air throughout the open space. "You're not wasting any hot air in this house," architect Nathan Kipnis says.

With its many panes of glass and varied roof lines, Carol and Dave Klobucar’s house on Lake Michigan’s Sturgeon Bay is very 21st century. At the heart of this Energy Star-qualified Wisconsin vacation house, however, are design concepts as old as the horse-drawn plow–and it’s those ancient ideas that make this red house green.

“If you go back in time, nearly all architectural elements were a direct response to climate influences,” says architect Nathan Kipnis, the Chicago-area architect who designed the 2,600-square-foot home. “These elements included roof shape, building orientation and window types. The local materials also influenced what was possible or practical. We took the best of those concepts and put them into this house.”

For the Klobucars, finding a green architect like Kipnis was the key to building in a way they’d long pondered, but didn’t necessarily understand. “I’ve always been interested in conservation,” says Carol, vice president and news director at Chicago’s WBBM-TV. “It just seems like the right thing to do.”

Starting at square one was daunting to the couple at first. “You can educate yourself on green issues, especially through the Internet,” Carol says. “But learning on your own can be tough, so we were happy to find an architect who was a strong advocate and taught us the best environmental practices out there.” 

Keeping cool with natural ventilation

  • Published on Dec 10, 2007
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