Protecting Your Home in a Hurricane: How We Design for Climate Disasters

The devastation caused by Hurricane Helene, particularly in towns like Asheville, North Carolina, has been incredibly shocking and heartbreaking to watch in recent weeks. As a nationwide team with employees, clients, and loved ones in the affected inland and coastal areas, we are truly devastated for those who have lost family members, friends, homes, and … Continue reading Protecting Your Home in a Hurricane: How We Design for Climate Disasters

Wood-Framed vs. Steel-Framed Barndominiums: Which is Better?

If you've been searching for a barndominium kit for your property, chances are you've already stumbled across hundreds of pre-engineered barndominium or barndo options online. From barndominiums with farmhouse flair to those with ultra-modern features and finishes, there are seemingly endless house plans for one's project, making it exciting and challenging to choose just one … Continue reading Wood-Framed vs. Steel-Framed Barndominiums: Which is Better?

2024 Trends for New Homes: Embracing Sustainability, Technology, and Nature

In today’s ever-evolving world of home design, staying up-to-date with the latest trends is essential for homeowners looking to create a modern and functional living space. As we embark on the new year, we expect several exciting trends to shape how many homes are designed and constructed in 2024. In this blog post, we’ll delve … Continue reading 2024 Trends for New Homes: Embracing Sustainability, Technology, and Nature

Introducing Our New Line of A-Frame Cabin Kits

There’s something undeniably special about the look and feel of A-frame cabins. With their dramatically sloped roofs, minimalistic designs, and incredible warmth, these triangular structures offer a unique yet simplistic setting designed to suit just about any purpose. Despite their growing popularity as Airbnb vacation rentals, A-frame cabins can also serve as ideal backyard artist … Continue reading Introducing Our New Line of A-Frame Cabin Kits

15 Ways to Use Our Barn Kits

Something we pride ourselves on here at DC is the incredible versatility of our barn kits — not just in the sense of what you can do with your design, but what purpose they can ultimately serve on your property. From backyard party barns to wineries and even “bat caves,” we’ve converted our building models … Continue reading 15 Ways to Use Our Barn Kits

Sizing Your Event Venue

Determining the right size for your wedding and event venue may seem like a simple task but it’s a bit more complex than most people realize. While it certainly helps to use other venues as a frame of reference for your design, it’s not always the most effective or accurate method for calculating your total … Continue reading Sizing Your Event Venue

How to Winterize Your Home

Heating your home can be expensive, especially during the wintertime. While natural gas is the cheapest and most popular heat source for homes in the U.S., it can cost up to $1,024 to run for the entire season. That’s almost $350 a month toward heating bills alone. Winterizing a home helps homeowners save energy and … Continue reading How to Winterize Your Home

Oregon’s Old Mill District

The Old Mill District in Bend, Oregon draws thousands of visitors a year from all around the world. Shops, art galleries, and music venues now occupy what was once home to the two largest sawmills in the world. The Shevlin-Hixon Lumber Company established a mill in 1916 on the Deschutes River’s west bank, with another … Continue reading Oregon’s Old Mill District

Post-and-Beam Kits Made Easy

The 2008 financial crash necessitated unsettling change amongst many businesses across the country. When we came up with DC Structures, we wanted to accentuate an approachable and comprehensive process inherently featured in post-and-beam kits, without sacrificing aesthetics and high quality.   The process most kit companies put people through can be a nightmare. Most will … Continue reading Post-and-Beam Kits Made Easy

Say Yes to Barn Home Kit Dormers

Heavy timber architecture done right can make any structure look like an old German fairy tale. There is something honest about an exposed joinery, and the smell of freshly shaved cedar or fir. But sometimes there are limits; times in which elegance must intersect with a designer’s pragmatism. Shed dormers are used fairly indiscriminately throughout … Continue reading Say Yes to Barn Home Kit Dormers

Finding a Barn Kit Contractor

Barn raising was the go-to construction method during the 16th and 18th century in the United States. Community members from all around would converge on a farmer’s property to aid in post assembly. Specialists in joinery were outsourced and paid while community members worked unconditionally. This typically wasn’t an issue considering these were resource driven … Continue reading Finding a Barn Kit Contractor

Timber Framing: An Ancient Craft Shaping the Future of Construction

Timber framing is an ancient construction technique with roots dating back to 200 BC. One of the oldest building methods still practiced today, timber framing combines meticulous craftsmanship with premium wood materials to create extraordinary structures that are as durable as they are beautiful. While similar to post and beam construction, this building method utilizes traditional and … Continue reading Timber Framing: An Ancient Craft Shaping the Future of Construction

When Horse Barn Kits Come to Life

DC Structures has designed and assembled countless horse barn kits. From small wood barns with one to two horse stalls all the way up to large-scale equestrian facilities for boarding businesses, there’s no horse barn project outside the DC wheelhouse. Earlier this year, we shared some construction progress photos of this luxury horse barn in … Continue reading When Horse Barn Kits Come to Life

Under Construction: Garage Apartment in Sandy, Oregon

At any given time, the DC Structures team is hard at work designing pre-engineered materials packages for clients across the U.S. This stunning garage with living quarters is currently under construction in beautiful Sandy, Oregon. Adapted from our flexible Oakridge 48’ kit design, this luxurious garage apartment is expected to finish construction within the next … Continue reading Under Construction: Garage Apartment in Sandy, Oregon

Post and Beam Construction: A Timeless and Structurally Sound Building Method

Post and beam construction is one of the most enduring and celebrated building methods in the world. With roots tracing back to ancient Europe, this construction style has stood the test of time as a symbol of architectural beauty and durability while seamlessly evolving to keep up with shifting industry demands. Whether you’re an architect, … Continue reading Post and Beam Construction: A Timeless and Structurally Sound Building Method

Eco Tips: Sustainable Barn Design

DC Structures values good stewardship of the environment and the earth’s natural resources. This principle is echoed through our space-efficient designs and our use of responsibly sourced products, such as premium heavy timbers from the Pacific Northwest. Our appreciation for nature and our focus on efficiency inform much of our approach to building design. When … Continue reading Eco Tips: Sustainable Barn Design

The Lady Cave: Turn a Cabin Kit into the Backyard She-Shed You Deserve

We’ve all heard of the man cave—that bastion of masculinity in all of its dart-board, mini-kegerator and classic neon-beer-sign glory—but what about the lady cave? The lesser-known lady cave is woman’s response to the man cave, and is born of the obvious yet under-celebrated idea that women need their own space just as much as … Continue reading The Lady Cave: Turn a Cabin Kit into the Backyard She-Shed You Deserve

Project Preview: Oregon City Covered Riding Arena and Barn with Living Quarters

At any given time, DC Structures has a number of projects under construction across the U.S. These range from residential homes and apartment barns to large-scale commercial operations such as athletic centers and event spaces. Once in a blue moon, we get a unique and rare opportunity to blur the lines a bit by designing … Continue reading Project Preview: Oregon City Covered Riding Arena and Barn with Living Quarters

Post and Beam vs. Post Frame: Which Framing Method is Better for Your Barn Kit?

Navigating the complex vocabulary of barn construction can be a daunting task. While familiarizing yourself with industry terms like “dormers” and “cupolas” is useful, it’s crucial to understand a few fundamental concepts before embarking on your barn project. Notably, “post and beam construction” and “post-frame construction” are two construction methods often mistaken for one another … Continue reading Post and Beam vs. Post Frame: Which Framing Method is Better for Your Barn Kit?

Mono Slab Foundations: One and Done

Mono slab foundations are a fast, strong and reliable alternative to traditional foundation building methods. This foundation type is ideal for structures built from pre-engineered materials packages. Mono slab foundations are formed with a single pour of concrete. These single-pour slabs are less prone to inconsistencies, and benefit from a relatively low time investment. Easily … Continue reading Mono Slab Foundations: One and Done