FOLLY TREE ARBORETUM

At the eastern point of Long Island there is an exceedingly unique collection of trees called the Folly Tree Arboretum. In total there are 250 rare, unusual and culturally significant trees. Each seems to hover between its existence as a natural organism and a cultural entity–a personality. When the clients approached the architects to design an event space and studio, they had a very specific idea in mind: first, to reuse an existing barn on site, but also to make a building that was mute and unassuming, but slightly off.

Subsequently, the design of the building, particularly the sequence of its understanding, is inspired by the anthropomorphism and personification that is so common at the arboretum. The architects began with a glyph of a smiling face and tried to find ways to see those lines in the existing building. In short, to coax the barn into personhood. Thus the ever present peaked roof became the high point of a nose or a smile, mellowing out through a ruled surface to end at the entry door. When seen in a ¾ view, the forms of the face (at least in the eye/windows and roof/smile) still linger.