Barnsworth Design Build

[The proposed Barnsworth Exhibition Center - source for all images]

Mies van der Rohe designed the Farnsworth House next to the Fox River in Plano, Illinois taking into account flooding. Yet even though it is raised five feet above the ground, the house has still been affected by flooding over the years, most recently in 2008.


[The wardrobe (far end of room) inside of the Farnsworth House]

These floods and the damage they inflict on the house's interior has necessitated the removal of the 12-foot-long wardrobe that is perpendicular to the large kitchen casework.


[Wardrobe removal]

But where to put the wardrobe? This is where students from the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) come in. The IIT Design Build Studio is proposing the Barnsworth Exhibition Center, "a contemporary round barn" that would house the wardrobe and contain exhibition space. It takes its name from an adjacent barn building about a half mile from the Farnsworth House at the entrance to the site.


[Rendering showing the interior of the space, displaying the wardrobe]

Currently the design build team is in the process of securing a permit and raising funds for the small building. In service of the latter they've set up the project on Kickstarter. Click over there to get more information on the project, see previous design-build projects from IIT, and maybe pony up a little dough.


[Section showing building construction and HVAC Systems]