Expanding our Creative Community

Growing Creativity

BARN’s mission is to grow and inspire a creative community through craft, learning, and service. From our founding location to today, we’ve seen incredible growth, and demand exceeds what we can currently meet. As a result, we are now planning our facility’s expansion, allowing us to share creativity with more people while honoring our core values of inclusivity, craft, volunteerism, and stewardship.

People watching weaving demonstration in Fiber Arts Studio
Tree Farm Map

BARN’s Growing Home

BARN’s expansion will be built on the two-acre tree farm parcel between our current building and New Brooklyn Road. We secured this property when the opportunity arose in 2021, giving us room to thoughtfully expand while preserving the natural surroundings that make BARN special.

Community at the Center

Community is at the heart of BARN’s expansion plans. In 2023, BARN’s Tree Farm Committee gathered our community’s dreams for BARN’s future through one-on-one conversations with members, studio focus groups, and a town hall. In 2024, we expanded those conversations to include partner organizations and research about how we fit into the region’s creative ecosystem.

Woodworkers collaborate on Tiny House project

Our Progress from 2021 – 2025

2021

BARN secures Tree Farm lot.

2023

Tree Farm Committee conducts 1-1 interviews, studio-based focus groups, and a town hall to collect ideas.

2024

Tree Farm Committee explores how an expanded BARN fits into the tapestry of resources in our region.

Feb. 2024

All In Campaign raises funds to complete the purchase of the Tree Farm lot.

Mid 2024

Johnpaul Jones engaged to create a master plan and conceptual designs.

Summer 2025

Master plan and conceptual designs completed.

Fall 2025

Tree Farm Committee begins preparations for the project’s design phase.

Dec. 2025

Board votes to engage Johnpaul Jones as BARN’s expansion architect.

A Vision for the Future

Johnpaul Jones, who designed BARN’s current building, completed conceptual designs in the summer of 2025. That December, the Board authorized moving forward to turn our concept into a constructible design. The color renderings below represent the vision for BARN’s expanded campus.

New Entry

Rendering by Anita Lehmann

Outdoor workspace

Rendering by Anita Lehmann

View from Three Tree Lane

Rendering by Anita Lehmann

BARN Woodworking Studio

Looking Ahead

We expect to spend the next 18 months to two years refining all the details we need to begin construction. We’ll share updates as the timeline becomes clearer.

This expansion represents our shared vision: a world where more people recognize and value their own creativity and capacity to contribute to their communities. We’re building this together, and we’re grateful you’re part of it.

Approximate Future Timeline

Now that we have a conceptual design and understand some of our constraints, it’s time to work through a detailed design process to confirm the details of what we’ll build and how it will be used. Here’s a more detailed breakdown:

Now to Mid 2026

Program Validation & Schematic Design

Mid 2026 to Early 2027

Design Development

2027

Construction Documents & Permit Submission

TBD after Permits Approved

Construction starts!

Frequently Asked Questions

To advance our mission of building community through craft, learning, and service. From our founding location to today, our impact is empowered and limited by our physical capacity. This expansion will let BARN serve new people, deepen its impact, and advance our strategic plan by:

  • Providing creative opportunities for everyone with new studios and more diverse programming
  • Creating gathering spaces for connection and collaboration
  • Supporting more community organizations and projects
  • Building financial sustainability through enhanced facilities
  • Serving as a leading regional center for craft education

The Tree Farm Committee has led this work with the community at the center. In 2023, we held conversations, studio focus groups, and a town hall. In 2024, we expanded outreach to partner organizations and researched how we fit into the region’s creative ecosystem. The committee presents recommendations to our Board for final decisions.

We’ve gathered extensive input about needs and dreams for BARN’s future. During this phase, we’ll work with studio leadership and experts to refine the design. We’ll keep you updated through newsletters, and you can share your thoughts anytime with studio leads or staff via the online form.

We’re in the design phase! Johnpaul Jones completed conceptual designs in the summer of 2025. That December, the Board authorized the creation of a constructible design.

Now that we have a conceptual design and understand some of our constraints, it’s time to work through a detailed design process to confirm the details of what we’ll build and how it will be used. Here’s a more detailed breakdown:

  • Now: Pre-Design (site investigation, surveys, selecting builders, program confirmation)
  • Next 6 months: Schematic Design (buildable plans within budget)
  • Following 6 months: Design Development (refining details, materials, systems)
  • Next 8 months: Construction Documents & Permitting

It’s too soon to say. Timing depends on design, permitting timelines, and fundraising. We’ll share updates as they become clearer. Construction will be phased to minimize disruption, and plans will be shared well in advance.

To the south of the existing facility, extending onto the two-acre tree farm parcel between our current building and New Brooklyn Road.

The conceptual design adds about 19,000 square feet to our existing 25,000-square-foot facility, creating a unified campus. This creates space for additional studios, improvements to existing studios, enhanced common areas, and new outdoor workspaces. Studio leads will work with architects to confirm layouts and needs during the program confirmation and schematic design phases.

Plans aren’t fully confirmed yet, but we’re most excited to serve ceramics artists, casters, blacksmiths, glass artists, photographers, musicians, filmmakers, sketchers, and painters with a dedicated space.

Yes. Designs include enhanced common areas and flexible spaces encouraging creative connections across disciplines.

Yes. We’ve learned a lot about the building and our needs since it opened in 2017. We’ve identified a number of opportunities, such as improving temperature control and better accommodating the disciplines we support today. This is an ongoing conversation, and your input is welcome.

Both are priorities being addressed during the design phase.

We’re developing a detailed budget for Board review. The design phase alone is estimated to cost over $1 million.

Share Your Thoughts

Check our project FAQ for answers to common questions! Have a question or comment that isn’t covered by our FAQs? Fill out the form linked below.