2016 - Volume #40, Issue #6, Page #10
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“Agritect” Brings Farm Background To Architecture
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“I was working on a large winery for an urban architectural firm,” recalls Hulshof. “I could point out things like the space needed for a tractor and equipment to move around the site. My background made it possible for me to be a bridge between the designers and the owner, who was rural and practical.”
Hulshof likes working with farmers and is focusing on agriculture now that she has her own farm.
“I come to a project knowing how farmers think and knowing the efficiencies needed, whether moving equipment around a farmyard or cleaning up after working outside,” she says. “I try to apply the nitty-gritty of farm life to projects.”
Currently Hulshof is working on a couple conversions of barns into houses. She’s also working with a dairy farm to convert from a tie-stall to a robotic milking operation with the option to expand in the future.
She admits that converting farmers into architectural clients isn’t easy. “The challenge in coming back to agriculture is most farmers don’t think abut hiring an architect,” says Hulshof.
She encourages farmers and others to explore working with an architect before building new, remodeling or expanding. Hulshof says an architect can give value by helping with government red tape, like permits and zoning. She says they can also help through better design, getting the client a better value for their dollar.
“Good planning can help with long-term use, so when construction starts, you haven’t limited future possibilities,” says Hulshof. “You can get free plans from a builder, but is it a flexible, inspiring design where you and visitors can spend a lot of time? It is hard to prove that you’ll get a better product, but it is easy to take an eraser to paper. It’s harder and more expensive to change a wall on a building that’s already built.”
While Hulshof doesn’t do project supervision beyond her home area, she is available for consultation. Her website offers tips on how to hire an architect, as well as steps in the process of design. Her blog covers things like what a blower door test is and what to look for in a timber frame barn re-use.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Veld Architect, 4592 Road 130, RR 1, Sebringville, Ontario Canada N0K 1X0 (ph 519 301-8408; Krista@veldarchitect.com; www.veldarchitect.com).
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