Stable But Not Staid: 8 Contemporary Approaches to Agricultural Typologies

It’s possible to have the best of both rural and contemporary 21st-century agricultural facilities that hearken back to traditional agricultural typologies.

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Agriculture has long been a hallmark of human ingenuity — a seminal one, in fact — and, while its scale and scope has shifted radically over the last few centuries, the conceit of living off the land has only grown more romantic in the digital age. Yet, as these eight projects show, it’s possible to have the best of both rural and contemporary 21st-century agricultural facilities that hearken back to traditional agricultural typologies.

Cow Barn in Lignières by LOCALARCHITECTURE, Neuchâtel, Switzerland

Swiss agriculture is the most protected agriculture in the world and recent legislation of neighboring countries to phase out all export subsidies threatened its very existence. In response, LOCALARCHITECTURE designed this free-stall barn for 30 cows that fit the budget allocated by federal authorities that is respectful to the local architectural form.

Mason Lane Farm Operations Facility by De Leon & Primmer Architecture Workshop, Goshen, Ky.

Consistent with the tropes of regional farm structures and local buildings, this pair of large barns was sustainably constructed with “low-tech” strategies. The site and buildings work together to return runoff to replenish local aquifers.

Goat Barn in Bavaria by KÜHNLEIN Architektur, Oberpfalz, Germany

The design of this wooden cube is reduced to the bare necessities, integrating the free landscape around it without expensive planning, calculations, or building materials. The piled timber beams serve as an economical alternative to finished products and a new interpretation of the block construction familiar in the region.

Agricultural Social Care Project “Grote Heklaantje” by negen graden architectuur, Bergen, The Netherlands

This social healthcare farm is composed of a cow barn, educational spaces, and a care home. Wrapped in a sturdy wooden façade that resembles the surroundings, the building masses fade into the countryside.

House and Barn by Aeby Aumann Emery Architects, Villarebos, Switzerland

Among the rolling hills on the outskirts of a Swiss village, this project combines traditional Nordic vernacular of wooden-clad structural elements with corrugated fiber-cement boards that line an entire exterior and interior wall of the living room. The location of these two structures, their typology, and the singularity of the materials used directly confronts the architectural expression of a farm in the 21st century.

Landlust Care Farm by Architectenbureau K2, Diemen, The Netherlands

Built for psychologically challenged inhabitants, the Landlust Care Farm includes three new buildings that house residents, a workspace for the nursery, and a porter’s house. The modest yet powerful black façades serve as a new interpretation of the existing buildings and regional farm typology.

Equestrian Project by cc arquitectos, Valle de Bravo, Mexico

This project consists of 20 horse stables, a riding ring, four suites, terraces, resting spaces, and numerous service areas for the use and maintenance of each space. The slightly inclined topography allows for the stables to be partially below-grade, topped with green roofs that complement the surrounding landscape.