FHB Logo Facebook LinkedIn Email Pinterest Twitter Instagram Plus Icon Close Icon Navigation Search Icon Navigation Search Icon Arrow Down Icon Video Guide Icon Article Guide Icon Modal Close Icon Guide Search Icon Skip to content
Subscribe

In every issue you'll find...

  • Expert insights on techniques and principles
  • Unbiased tool reviews
  • Step-by-step details to master the job
  • Field-tested advice and know-how
Subscribe Now!
Subscribe
  • How-To
  • Design
  • Tools & Materials
  • Videos
  • Blogs
  • Forum
  • Magazine
  • Members
  • FHB House
  • Podcast
  • Join
  • Log In
Subscribe

A Powerhouse of a Barn

By Kevin Ireton
Instant feedback keeps us energy-aware: When the LED lights shine green on the foundation, the barn is producing more energy than it is using. The lights turn red when the opposite is true.  

By his own admission, Keith Collins tends to get carried away, or at least that’s how I interpreted his remarks. In one of the seminars I attended at the NESEA conference in Boston last week, Collins said that when he set out to build a shed for his riding lawnmower and it turned into a state-of-the-art prototype for a sustainable home, his wife was not surprised. Collins is a physician from Miami who wants his grandchildren to enjoy the same environment that he has. That’s the real reason he developed this project, which is called the BrightBuilt Barn.

Designed by Kaplan Thompson Architects and pre-fabricated by Bensonwood Homes, the BrightBuilt Barn prototype sits on Collins’ property in Rockport, Maine. It is a one-story, 700 sq. ft. studio with a kitchen and a storage loft. Certified LEED Platinum, the floors, walls and roof are all R-40. It has no furnace. What little heat is needed comes from the evacuated solar thermal tubes on the roof. And the PV array not only provides all the electricity the building uses, it supplies enough additional power that Tedd Benson, principal owner of Bensonwood, refers to it as an “outboard motor”  for the main house on the property.

One striking feature of this project is a skirt of LED lights around the outside that glow green when the building is producing more power than it uses and red with the opposite is true. Another light provides the same feedback inside the studio. Tempting as it is to dismiss the lights as a gimmick, direct feedback about energy use is one of the keys to wasting less of the stuff.

The BrightBuilt Barn prototype cost around $300,000, including all of its bells and whistles. The basic structure, however, can be had for under $200,000, and can be configured as a one- or two-bedroom home. Given that all the principals are committed to open source, much more information about this project is available at www.brightbuiltbarn.com, including live data on the building’s energy use.

Sign up for eletters today and get the latest how-to from Fine Homebuilding, plus special offers.

Signing you up...

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
See all newsletters
See all newsletters

×

Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox

Signing you up...

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
See all newsletters
See all newsletters

New Feature

Fine Homebuilding Forums

Ask questions, offer advice, and share your work

View Comments

  1. KLPCJP | Apr 05, 2010 02:43pm | #1

    I need help! 8 years ago I developed a disease that has put me on perm. Disability. I have always been interested in wood working and buiding. My problem is that I have a garage full of tools (three car) but no place to work as the garage is beginning used by two vehicles. Which need to take the place in the garage because the two car stops are used by vehicles that get broken into a lot as the parts are in great demand. Also, in my area garage stops are to be a min. of 8' mine are 7 1/2. I qm new to this buy am frustrated because I don't feel like I have a place to work and learn. As soon as I pull out all my tools I have to them all pack due to rain or the fear that they will be stolen. I need help!!!! Kimber Porter of Riverside, California

Log in or create an account to post a comment.

Sign up Log in

Become a member and get full access to FineHomebuilding.com

Up Next

Video Shorts

Featured Story

Industry-First Cordless Rebar Cutter and Bender

A brushless motor and 36v batteries power Metabo HPT’s cordless rebar bender and cutter.

Featured Video

Builder’s Advocate: An Interview With Viewrail

Learn more about affordable, modern floating stairs, from design to manufacturing to installation.

Related Stories

  • Podcast 485: Members-only Aftershow
  • Fine Homebuilding – Aug/Sept 2022, Issue #309
  • Keep Craft Alive Podcast: Ep.14, Ryan Shanahan, Birdsmouth Design-Build
  • Find a Female Tradesperson With Matriarchy Build

Discussion Forum

Recent Posts and Replies

  • |
  • |
  • |
  • |
  • |
  • |
View More Create Post

Highlights

Fine Homebuilding All Access
Fine Homebuilding Podcast
Tool Tech
Plus, get an extra 20% off with code GIFT20

"I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.

Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox

Signing you up...

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
See all newsletters
See all newsletters

Video

View All
  • Podcast 485: Members-only Aftershow
  • Podcast 468: PRO TALK With Shutter Manufacturer Rick Skidmore
  • Podcast 462: PRO TALK With Construction Attorney Karalynn Cromeens
  • Podcast 461: Adding a Screened Porch, Insulating a Raised Addition, and Preventing Termites in Exterior Foam
View All

BOOKS, DVDs, & MERCH

Shop the Store
  • Outdoor Projects
    Buy Now
  • 2021 Fine Homebuilding Archive
    Buy Now
  • Code Check Building 4th Edition
    Buy Now
  • Pretty Good House
    Buy Now
  • Shop the Store

Fine Homebuilding Magazine

  • Issue 309 - Aug/Sept
    • 10 Steps to Install Crown Molding on Cabinets
    • How to Get Sturdy Walls Without OSB
    • Choosing the Right Construction Tape for the Job
  • Issue 308 - July 2022
    • Pretty Good House Book Excerpt: Copper Farmhouse
    • 10 Dos and Don'ts for Electric In-Floor Heat
    • A Sturdy Rail for Outdoor Stairs
  • Issue 307 - June 2022
    • How to Raise a Post-Frame Home
    • Trimming Deck Stairs
    • Evolving an Energy-Efficient Envelope
  • Issue 306 - April/May 2022
    • Framing Stairs to an Out-of-Level Landing
    • Building a Zero-Energy Home for Less
    • Good-Looking and Long-Lasting Traditional Gutters
  • Issue 305 - Feb/March 2022
    • The Steady Surge in Residential Solar
    • The Fine Homebuilding Interview: William B. Rose
    • How Good Is Your Air Barrier?

Fine Homebuilding

Follow

  • twitter
  • facebook
  • instagram
  • pinterest

Newsletter

Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox

Signing you up...

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
See all newsletters
See all newsletters

Membership & Magazine

  • Online Archive
  • Start Free Trial
  • Magazine Subscription
  • Magazine Renewal
  • Gift a Subscription
  • Customer Support
  • Privacy Preferences

Taunton Network

  • Green Building Advisor
  • Fine Woodworking
  • Fine Gardening
  • Threads
  • About
  • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Careers
  • Copyright
  • Terms of Use
  • Site Map
  • Do not sell my information
  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility
  • California Privacy Rights

© 2022 The Taunton Press, Inc. All rights reserved.

X
X
This is a dialog window which overlays the main content of the page. The modal window is a 'site map' of the most critical areas of the site. Pressing the Escape (ESC) button will close the modal and bring you back to where you were on the page.

Main Menu

  • How-To
  • Design
  • Tools & Materials
  • Video
  • Blogs
  • Forum
  • Reader Projects
  • Magazine
  • Members
  • FHB House

Podcasts

  • FHB Podcast
  • ProTalk

Webinars

  • Upcoming and On-Demand

Account

  • Log In
  • Join

Podcasts

  • FHB Podcast
  • ProTalk

Webinars

  • Upcoming and On-Demand

Popular Topics

  • Kitchens
  • Business
  • Bedrooms
  • Roofs
  • Architecture and Design
  • Green Building
  • Decks
  • Framing
  • Safety
  • Remodeling
  • Bathrooms
  • Windows
  • Tilework
  • Ceilings
  • HVAC

Magazine

  • Current Issue
  • Past Issues
  • Magazine Index
  • Subscribe
  • Online Archive
  • Author Guidelines

All Access

  • Member Home
  • Start Free Trial
  • Gift Membership

Shop the Store

  • Books
  • DVDs
  • Taunton Workshops

More

  • FHB Ambassadors
  • Reader Projects
  • Podcast
  • Customer Support

Account

  • Log In
  • Join

Newsletter

Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox

Signing you up...

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
See all newsletters
See all newsletters

Follow

  • twitter
  • facebook
  • instagram
  • pinterest

Join All Access

Become a member and get instant access to thousands of videos, how-tos, tool reviews, and design features.

Start Your Free Trial

Subscribe

FHB Magazine

Start your subscription today and save up to 70%

Subscribe

We hope you’ve enjoyed your free articles. To keep reading, become a member today.

Get complete site access to expert advice, how-to videos, Code Check, and more, plus the print magazine.

Start your FREE trial

Already a member? Log in