Heritage Cabin built near the Swan Mountain Range in Montana, a new structure or an old one? The correct answer is probably both. The barn was built only a year and a half ago and incorporates state-of-the-an mechanical features, but it is built almost completely out of reclaimed wood from barns, sawmills, and other buildings in rural Montana, all of it decades old. Indeed, the weathered, cinnamon-colored wood gives the home such a feeling of age and belonging, it's hard not to believe that isn't a remodel of an existing structure. "We wanted this particular building to have a sense of history," says owner Roger Martin. "As much as possible, we wanted it to feel like an old barn that's been on that spot for a long, long time," The family was building a primary residence nearby, but wanted a separate structure for entertaining and recreational activities down by the spring-fed lake. It's only 850 square feet inside and has no bedrooms, but the simple design has room for a small kitchen, a bar, a gathering area centered around a majestic fireplace, a pool and foosball table, and, in the 10ft, a long shuffleboard table. Paul Miller, partner at RMT Architects in Avon, Colorado, designed the building with the classic proportions of an old barn, a screened-in porch cleverly substituting for one of the wings. It even includes a sliding barn doors on both sides that can be opened to a stunning, through-the-building view of the lake. Timber framing was essential to the structure. "I love the history and romance of Montana, and that goes hand in hand with the architectural heritage of the state," Roger says. "To me, the timber-frame design is really a part of that." - Timber Home Living July 2009
