Harvest Haven Timber Frame Barn

Top-five Madison, Wisconsin employer invests in a state-of-the-art facility for customers and distributors

A brand representative building

The company behind Harvest Haven, an industry leader in premium refrigeration, wine preservation and cooking equipment, wanted to extend its high quality brand into a state-of-the-art facility for customers and distributors. The space needed to feature show-stopping modern amenities but also create an experience grounded in the agricultural history of the area.  The company’s leaders’ ultimate goal was a rustic yet refined facility in which to host a variety of events, and from which to center key company initiatives.

Contractor selection and services provided

The client discovered National Construction through a search for Madison, Wisconsin timber frame construction expertise. The contractor was hired as the construction manager for the project and provided onsite supervision, project management, rough carpentry, finish carpentry,  concrete, masonry, steel, roofing, acoustical ceiling, and painting work, and general labor services; sourced and installed timber trusses, and installed wall and roof structural insulated panels (SIPs).

Design-build project requires flexibility and a focus on details

Original plans were for a relatively simple open barn, but the project quickly developed in to a full-fledged commercial structure. The design-build project changed scope almost weekly, but National expertly facilitated the necessary engineering changes, architectural drawings, and roll-out for onsite construction.

With more than 50 professionals working simultaneously throughout the building’s two stories on any given day, logistics of site management and control required daily attention. An additional layer of complexity was that subcontractors were hired both by National Construction, and by the customer (self-hire). National took special care to ensure project specifications remained consistent.

Structural code required timber framing that was graded hardwood from deciduous trees, so National Construction had to ensure the product had documented history, species and age to earn the engineer’s approval.

The 150-year-old timber beams sourced from Pennsylvania were denailed, cleaned up and restored by hand, then installed with extreme precision to meet the client’s request to preserve and showcase all historical scribe marks – even extending to a late-stage layout adjustment to all four first floor bathrooms.

Seventy five percent of all project materials were reclaimed, and the client wanted those to be the key focus of guests. National Construction took great care not just to ready reclaimed and repurposed materials but also to ensure finish selections matched the era of those original materials; and to design safety and mechanical necessities, and technology, to fade into the background.

An immersive farm-to-table visitor experience

The facility is located adjacent to the company’s Harvest Haven Garden, where food is grown before being prepared in either the first floor demonstration kitchen or outdoor kitchen, which features a custom stainless steel counter and sink, gas grills, warming drawers, and stone countertops. Prepared dishes are displayed and enjoyed on the first floor, which incorporates a buffet station, dining areas, bar, and fireside lounge; on the outdoor patio; or in the second floor open loft. Reserve produce is stored in the root cellar, and unconsumed food in the basement walk-in refrigerator and freezer or outdoor refrigerators.

The remaining layout

Also located in the basement are men’s and women’s locker rooms with bathrooms and showers, mechanical rooms, and janitorial and storage space. A second set of bathrooms are located on the first floor, along with a conference room; the second floor includes storage space and a mechanical room.

A building befitting its setting and purpose

Seventy five percent of all project materials were reclaimed, including:

• Barn board siding, porch ceilings, custom built sliding shutters and exterior white oak ledge
• Interior barn board walls, ceiling, trim, flooring and custom built doors
• Barn wood from the Midwest such as wormy chestnut, wormy white oak, and mill sawn oak, and stone accents from Pennsylvania in the conference room
• White birch bark used to frame TVs
• A timber mantel in the lounge

Repurposed materials include:

• Wood from a large grain elevator from the shoreline of Lake Superior for the staircase and loft railing
• Two vintage cupolas, lightning rods and weather vanes restored and used on the roof
• Red and white oak floorboards used as countertops in the demonstration kitchen
• Wood from 100 year old winery vats from New York used on the interior of the bar and for cabinetry in the conference room

Other detailed work includes:

• Period-authentic fixtures and hardware were researched and selected
• Windows and doors were hand-distressed or painted to blend with the overall concept
• Porch awnings are made from Cor-Ten weatherized steel that forms a rust-like appearance after being exposed to the elements
• Custom corrugated white aluminum gutters and downspouts fade into the exterior
• Sprinkler water lines were painted to blend with the ceiling
• Custom hot and cold air returns were built into the walls and floors, fire extinguishers were built into barn wood boxes, and pop-out emergency wall lighting was installed.
• Audio, lighting and heating/cooling controls were added for both the barn and outdoor kitchen; iPad control is available for all interior lighting from light dimming and sound control to fireplace settings.
• Outdoor mushroom subwoofers and directional speakers provide audio to the patio, outdoor kitchen and garden, and installation every ten feet enables complete coverage at low volumes.

Green built features include:

• A positive pressure exhaust vent built into the top of the fireplace for air circulation to meet fresh air requirements
• LED lighting used throughout, from standard lighting to technology added to a 150 year old lamp fixture
• SIPS wall panels surround the entire structure, from the walls to the roof, to create the utmost efficient and effective building envelope
• Air chillers with hydronic cooling to the air handler