Stone Barns

Subtlety was the answer for the restoration of Stone Barns on David Rockefeller's former property in Pocantico Hills, N.Y.

In addition to the preservation of 80 acres of open space, the Stone Barns were remade into environmentally sound buildings incorporating offices, educational facilities, exhibit space, a restaurant, commercial kitchen, greenhouse and shell space for a future event hall.

Still, the beauty of the project is that it looks like little was done to the buildings and the site at all, said the jury.

The Stone Barns have been part of Pocantico, the 4,000-acre country estate in Tarrytown, N.Y. assembled by John D. Rockefeller between 1891 and the early 1920's. The property had been used for agricultural purposes until recent years when it was turned into a non-profit facility to promote agriculture.

Because environmental concerns were paramount in this project, renovating the structures and making them environmentally conscious rather than tearing them down and building new was critical.

The team superinsulated the existing 18-in. masonry walls to take advantage of the existing thermal mass of the structures while keeping the original aesthetic of the properties. It also replaced the asphalt roofs of the buildings with long-lasting natural slate.

The interiors of the buildings feature stone flooring and other natural nontoxic and durable finishes, which helped maintain the rustic feel of the site and buildings.

Finding the fit between existing structures and systems and the necessary upgrades without disrupting the site was tricky, given that improvements such as MEP equipment, chillers and rooftop exhaust fans had to be kept out of the view of the public. And, there was no "back of house" area to hide infrastructure and mechanical equipment, or any area to put equipment inside the buildings.

The overall renovation included three separate projects, the core and shell of six connecting structures and the renovation of the restaurant and greenhouse.

The project team kept the core and shell of the connecting structures and added new cupolas, slate roof, steel windows and doors. The interior of the building received a complete gut and renovation, with new finishes, exhibition space and landscaping upgrades.

The Blue Hill at Stone Barns restaurant features 12,000 sq. ft. for outdoor terrace dining and a dining room and public spaces that have high-end architectural finishes with a new glass storefront, European limestone flooring, Venetian plaster and an acoustical plaster vaulted ceiling.

The team located the greenhouse down the hill from the main buildings to maintain the existing site contours and minimize site disturbance and created a 22,000-sq.-ft. structure to provide produce for the restaurant and the public.

In addition to the renovations done to the Stone Barns, the project team restored historically significant fixtures for future use. Throughout the construction, debris was separated and recycled, with more than 50 percent of the debris diverted from the landfill.