Murphy & Dittenhafer Architects is part of a team tasked with designing and renovating the burned-out Horn Farm Center farmhouse to be a sustainable building at the regenerative farm.
In October 2021, a lightning strike set fire to the farmhouse at Horn Farm Center for Agricultural Education in Hellam, Pennsylvania. The blaze ravaged the roof and upper stories of the 160-year-old structure, leaving behind a shell of brick walls. Not only did the Horn Farm Center lose a piece of history, it lost its headquarters.
But that wasn’t the end of the story for the historic structure. Murphy & Dittenhafer Architects has been working with a team of specialists to revitalize the old brick walls and create a space more sustainable and user-focused than before.
A center for regenerative farming
Horn Farm is a nearly 200-acre property that has been farmed continuously since the mid-1700s. The center was established as a nonprofit in 2004 with a focus on regenerative agriculture. Its goal is to be not only sustainable but restorative to the land.
After the old headquarters burned, Horn Farm Center leadership knew it wanted a renovation of the farmhouse that would put more back into the land than it took out. The leaders brought on Murphy & Dittenhafer Architects as part of a team to do just that.
“Our role,” says Architect Peter Schwab, “will be to restore the house and make it energy-efficient while keeping the historic character.”
M&D became part of a team that includes landscapers, energy and technology companies, structural and civil engineers, and sustainable-design experts.
“Their whole group is very interactive and collaborative,” says Architectural Designer Harper Brockway.
Of the 186 acres, M&D can make changes only on slightly less than 12 acres, on which the remains of the farmhouse sit. M&D will design a roof, attic, and floor structure, as well as an interior that incorporates classrooms, meeting rooms, work areas, a teaching kitchen, and possibly composting toilets.
The plan is in the schematic design phase as of early November 2022. M&D and their team of experts are working to make the building a hallmark of sustainability. To meet that goal, it is being designed for high-performance energy efficiency. The structure will be super-insulated. Replacement Windows will be high performance. The mechanical systems selected and designed will be built to create net positive energy, most likely through solar power.
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Besides designing and renovating the farmhouse, M&D is working on a master plan for the rest of the protected 12 acres. The stone foundation of a bank barn that burned in 2005 could be converted into an outdoor teaching space or an area where vendors can set up and sell farm-to-table offerings.
The Architects also are considering options for a new building – and education-focused facility constructed of natural materials such as hay bales, corncobs, or hemp. A system for rainwater harvesting will have the goal of achieving net positive water usage as well for the farm, providing it with more water than it needs.
“The integration of the agricultural scope along with the historic scope makes it unique,” Schwab says of the project.
Not long after the farmhouse fire, Horn Farm staff began working out of a trailer on the site. They look forward to setting up shop in the renovated, modern, and sustainable farmhouse against a backdrop of historical significance. Schematic design is to wrap up in late 2022 with construction planned for 2023.
“The whole process has been very integrative,” says Brockway. “Being team-oriented has been very fun.”
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