Brick & Wonder is a curated platform of the highest quality homes for sale worldwide. Launched by Lang Architecture in 2016, Brick & Wonder provides access to homes in the marketplace with design integrity that have the capacity to improve how we feel, think, interact and ultimately live our daily lives.
Before our period of industrialization and mass urbanization, small-scale farms were vital to the development and sustainment of communities across the globe. The typology that dots lush countrysides has, particularly in the west, become synonymous with the signature A-frame shape, a symbol of agrarian architecture which still endures despite the ever-evolving format for farming.
As the future of agriculture is shifting to accommodate dense urban populations, many of these farms have lost their original purpose, and a large portion have been renovated to outfit a variety of new programs. Perhaps the most popular alternative for agrarian buildings is the private home. For many, the signature farmhouse gable evokes feelings of nostalgia for a time of deeper, closer connection with the surrounding natural landscape.
In tandem with the trend towards barn raising, many architects are designing country-side homes that mimic the classic structural and aesthetic emblems of farmhouses to capture the spirit of the universal industry. This collection from Brick & Wonder explores the current market for converted farmhouses and farmhouse-inspired abodes. Affordable or not, they’ll have you dreaming of tranquil bucolic pastures of a time past:
Modern Farmhouse by Giles Bruce, Buckinghamshire, UK
An oak frame house in rural England that incorporates the steel frame of an old cow shed. Rather than demolishing and disposing of all the existing structures, the owners wanted to use them as the starting point for the design. Architect Giles Bruce has commented on the design process, “the original organization of the farm provided good views to the south and a sheltered courtyard to the north.” Bruce’s gabled beauty could be yours for $2,287,000.
Can Bassó by Amélia Molina, Ibiza, Spain
Can Bassó is a traditional farmhouse in Ibiza that has been stripped bare and rebuilt using stones and handcrafted wooden beams to replicate the originals. While elements of the home stay true to the original design, where possible the home embraces contemporary design vernacular and state-of-the-art technology. The home was renovated by a Belgian property expert and local Ibiza architect Amélia Molina. This stone ranch home on the Mediterranean isle is currently on the market for $5,936,000.
Slope Hill House by Wendy Shacklock Architects, Queenstown, New Zealand
Architect Wendy Shacklock chose materials that relate to the area vernacular: schist stonework, Victorian ash and cedar woodwork inside and out, with natural zinc cladding and roofing – a modern take on corrugated iron. Inside, cedar beams in the living room echo the roofline of an old barn. The idyllic Slope Hill House is up for sale at an asking price of $2,932,000.
Stable Acre by David Kohn Architects, Norfolk, UK
A former paddock in the UK’s Norfolk region, this country home was designed with a sensitivity to the local agricultural architecture. Constructing two brick pavilions within the ruins of 19th century stable, the low ranch home is conceived as grouping of houses within a single structure. “The relationship between the house and garden was central to the whole project. The house really acts as a prism to experience the changing light through the day and the shifting seasons,” says architect David Kohn. “Because the living room faces south the light is continually changing – every hour is different. It gives the experience of being at the house a vital character that’s both calming and refreshing.” Kohn’s Stable Acre can be snapped up for the price of $1,278,000.
Woodstock Farm by Rick Joy Architect, Woodstock, VT
Situated in the Green Mountains of Woodstock, Vermont, North American architect Rick Joy has created a farmhouse and barn on a 210-acre parcel of land. Spread out over two buildings, each structure takes the traditional a-frame shape of agricultural buildings with a steel frame, and clad in stone and cedar shingles. The minimal, textured exterior is offset by warm wood-cladding and open views in the home’s interior. “It’s all about making propositions for how to live in a landscape,” says Architect Rick Joy of the home. Joy’s Green Mountain masterpiece is no easy steal at $8,750,000.
Country Estate by Philip Johnson, extension by Roger Ferris + Partners, New Canaan, CT
One of 6 houses designed by Philip Johnson in New Canaan, the Wiley House was built in the 1950s with a recent extension designed by Roger Ferris + Partners including a new pool house built into the hill and the art gallery (a reconstructed 19th century barn). The two architects’ structures present a contrasting experience of openness and enclosure. Philip Johnson and Roger Ferris + Partner’s modern beauty is on currently on the market for $14,000,000.
Rowden by McLean Quinlan, Devon, UK
Architectural writer, Cathy Strongman, has described Rowden house as “sturdy and yet elegantly transparent in places, contextual but also contemporary… a Devonshire farmhouse that takes full advantage of its setting without diminishing any of its beauty.” The house is designed by highly-regarded architect Fiona McLean of McLean Quinlan. Located on four a acre landscaped the home uses salvaged colored stone that recalls the local heritage and vernacular. McLean Quinlan’s tranquil country home comes at an asking price of $2,576,000.
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