Tall Barn next to Short Barn

[dodgeramsst2003]

We are in the final planning stages for a new barn on our property. The new barn will be 40x60 and will have two 16'W doors on one eave side, and a 10x10 on the back side.

This new barn will be located about 15' from our current 30x40x10 barn. Now for my dilemma. We originally planned for this new barn to be 14' tall, but being so close to the shorter barn we are worried it will look out of place, and are thinking of changing it to a 12' tall sidewall. Main use for this new barn is cold storage only, for the boat, truck, tractor, mower, etc.

I know wisdom says build as tall as you can, but I don't want it to look out of place either. Like said above, new barn will be about 15' from our current barn and about 125' from our two story house. Our boat will fit through a 10' tall door.

Options
1. Build 14' tall sidewalls with 13' tall doors to future proof the building.
2. Build 12' tall sidewalls with 11' tall doors. I don't foresee us needing bigger doors, we don't camp and have no plans for an RV.

Other sticking point right now is wainscot or no wainscot. Our current barn doesn't have it so not sure if having it on the new one will look out of place or not.

Any advice from someone who has been in a similar situation would be appreciated.

 

[jack stand]

To me, it's about proportions and with the 40x60 footprint anything shorter than 14' sidewalls will not  look like a barn but simple cold storage.
Now I've conjured up a picture in my mind of your proposal and may be way off, but you're 1st building with 10' walls will be fine only 15' away but it will appear as a garage or workshop and the new building will take on the roll (visually) as the main barn.

 

[Stuart in MN]

I don't think the 14' height will be objectionable. Farms have always had a wide variety of outbuildings sitting next to each other. I do think I'd go without wainscoting to match the existing barn, though.

 

[dodgeramsst2003]

Guess I should add, we aren't on a farm. we have 6 acres and the original barn is what I use for my shop. Picture below with the new barn location outlined in red.

 

[Youngandfree]

Build it tall. Stop worrying about it.

 

[Leaflessshadetree]

I wouldn't worry about it. If you do the wainscotting should help with the appearance of height.

 

[Hank11]

Could you build the new building as an addition to the old?

 

[larry_g]

Form follows function... My shop towers over my house and no one has complained yet.

Looking at your picture I would think that if the new was moved a bit further back and to the left that visually and functionally it might work a bit better. The 15' separation seems a bit close to me for fire reasons and maneuverability in the area between the buildings. Moving the building back then gives the perception that the buildings are near the same.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[Chrisb62]

Form follows function... My shop towers over my house and no one has complained yet.

Looking at your picture I would think that if the new was moved a bit further back and to the left that visually and functionally it might work a bit better. The 15' separation seems a bit close to me for fire reasons and maneuverability in the area between the buildings. Moving the building back then gives the perception that the buildings are near the same.

lg
no neat sig line

I agree with the moving it back a little to lessen the visual impact.

 

[billconner]

I would not line them up as the picture suggests. Some offset will make them less likely to be trying to look like twins. Better still, ridges not parallel as graphic seems to suggest.

 

[Zeke]

IDK about ridges being parallel but if the roof pitch is the same I'd build it. Sometimes architects will take some lumber and build the outline of the proposed building and stand it next to the existing building to compare. You can move that skeleton back for a different perspective.

You'll use the lumber somewhere in the project so it's not an additional expense.

 

[AC-WC]

Mom's barns are 12 and 10 ft tall, 3 ft apart (in an L shape, so 2 corners are at 3 ft) you can tell they are different height but it's not objectionable to us. The pitch is what I notice more. HTH!

 

[JeepYJ]

Go with at least 13’ 6” door openings.

 

[dodgeramsst2003]

Form follows function... My shop towers over my house and no one has complained yet.

Looking at your picture I would think that if the new was moved a bit further back and to the left that visually and functionally it might work a bit better. The 15' separation seems a bit close to me for fire reasons and maneuverability in the area between the buildings. Moving the building back then gives the perception that the buildings are near the same.

lg
no neat sig line

I've thought about back and to the left a bit more. The biggest problem is that to the left of the building slopes down and gets really wet in the spring. I'm already going to have to bring the grade on the left side of the building up 22". Which for this flatlander is a LOT. I could go back about 8-10 ft.

I would not line them up as the picture suggests. Some offset will make them less likely to be trying to look like twins. Better still, ridges not parallel as graphic seems to suggest.

I could go back about 8-10 ft and not have to do much tree removal. Much more than that and it gets in to a big job with clearing land. Not the end of the world, just more work for me. The ridges will be perpendicular to each other and the roof pitch is the same 4/12.

IDK about ridges being parallel but if the roof pitch is the same I'd build it. Sometimes architects will take some lumber and build the outline of the proposed building and stand it next to the existing building to compare. You can move that skeleton back for a different perspective.

You'll use the lumber somewhere in the project so it's not an additional expense.

The ridges will be perpendicular and the roof pitch will be the same 4/12 as the original barn. Originally I had the building rotated 90 degrees to have the ridges parallel, and it was going to be forward of the current barn, but I want the doors on the eave/long side of the barn and having to back the boat and equipment trailer into the barn at 90 degrees every time seemed like a pain.

Below is a rendering of what we will build. Nothing fancy, just functional. Big doors will face the road, and man door will face the current barn.

Thanks everyone for the thoughts and ideas!

 

[billconner]

I think if ridges are perpendicular to each other, 4' offset - walls not aligned - still be enough. IMHO

 

[Zeke]

If you can do that rendering then you can look at both buildings virtually.