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You Won't Believe the Cozy Home Inside This Converted Grain Silo
February 12, 2015
Architect Christoph Kaiser turned a dismantled grain silo, purchased online from a Kansas farmer, into a cozy studio in Phoenix, Arizona. The 190-square-foot space is outfitted with a highly customized interior—only the Eames dining chairs were not made by Kaiser—that serves as a comfortable home for him and his wife.
The silo was transported to Phoenix in a pickup truck. Grain silos have an oculus at the top that allows air to move through the grain; Kaiser converted that into a retractable skylight.
Courtesy of
Mark Lipczynski
Kaiser added ten inches of spray foam insulation between the exterior shell and the interior of the house. He also fabricated all of the doors and windows in the structure.
Courtesy of
Mark Lipczynski
Inside, Kaiser crafted a curved interior that matches the silo's circular footprint. "I didn’t want to cheat and do a box inside a curved shell," he says. "I wanted it to feel like the inside and outside were born of the same mentality." Scrap walnut plank flooring purchased on Craigslist for $350 accounted for most of the interior wood. It's paired with black steel touches. Everything in this room is custom—Kaiser designed the curved-faced cabinets, the dining table, the sofa, and the lamp that has hooks for pots and pans. The countertops are Corian. The Eames Wire Chairs are one of the only non-custom elements.
Courtesy of
Mark Lipczynski
Upstairs is a sleeping loft, accessible by a spiral staircase. A digital projector makes it possible for the couple to watch movies against the opposite wall.
Courtesy of
Mark Lipczynski
The bathroom features white ceramic glazed penny tile and a Duravit toilet with a custom vanity.
Courtesy of
Mark Lipczynski
A custom, sliding 9-foot-wide door opens the living space up to the outdoors.
Courtesy of
Mark Lipczynski
Mastic plants that can grow up to 16 feet tall will eventually create a canopy of shade around the structure.
Courtesy of
Mark Lipczynski
The silo was transported to Phoenix in a pickup truck. Grain silos have an oculus at the top that allows air to move through the grain; Kaiser converted that into a retractable skylight.
Architect
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