Barn Beach Reserve

Located on a scenic 5.5 acre greenbelt bordering the Wenatchee River, the Barn Beach Reserve’s mission is to “celebrate, promote, and conserve the environmental, artistic, and cultural heritage of the greater Wenatchee River Valley through educational programming and stewardship.” A community-based master planning process identified site restoration, interpretation of natural and cultural history, and minimal environmental impact as primary goals. The Master Plan lays out habitat restoration areas and an accessible interpretive path system based on existing trails. New impervious surface is minimized by parking on an existing tennis court and building on the footprint of, or re-using, existing structures. The Education Building, also known as “The Barn”, was constructed on the foundation of a 1960’s daylight basement home after a local carpenter salvaged much of the original structure. Envisioned, designed, and constructed as a learning place and a teaching tool, the design team integrated building form and systems into an elegant and legible response to this specific climate, location, and use. Abundant solar energy is collected in two systems, one to heat the building and another to provide electricity. A simple convection ventilation system operates in mild weather. In extremes, heat recovery ventilation provides high air quality for occupancy that varies from a few people to as many as 100. Permanent signage that identifies and explains sustainable elements is integrated into the Reserve’s educational programs.