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
Since the onset of the pandemic, it’s safe to say we’ve all experienced our fair share of unprecedented events, from lumber surges to a booming housing market to record-high inflation and, more recently, Elon Musk’s Twitter fiasco. Though some of the notable events of the last few years were trying, to say the least, several … Continue reading Where are People Moving in 2023?
Barndominiums, or barndos for short, are some of the most popular home designs to emerge in the 21st century; and for those who love the look of classic American barns, it’s not difficult to see why! With their wide-open interiors, high ceilings, and modern design features, barndominiums make beautiful family residences that are both highly … Continue reading Barndominiums 101: What They Are & What We Offer
If you’re new to the process of building a custom home or structure, you may be asking yourself if you need to hire an architect for your project. While our commercial buildings will always require the involvement of a Design Professional of Record or licensed architect, the chances of needing a licensed architect for your … Continue reading Do You Need an Architect for Your Project?
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
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
We talk a lot about our prefabrication method and, more specifically, the benefits of utilizing our pre-cut heavy timbers for your installation process. However, something we don’t discuss nearly as often as our pre-engineered heavy timbers is what we use to keep our posts looking beautiful over time and protected from moisture build-up and rot … Continue reading Knife Plates 101: What Are They & Why Do We Use Them?
If there’s anything we learned in 2021, it’s that demand for housing is exploding across the U.S. From major cities like Chicago and Seattle to rural communities in Colorado and Tennessee, we saw an influx of eager home buyers snap up listings left, right, and center, with many homes flying off the market within hours … Continue reading ADU Kits: Six Designs for Your Backyard Build
In recent months, the global supply chain crisis has become a major cause for concern for those eager to build a new home or structure. With everything from windows and doors to dimensional lumber experiencing long lead times, many homebuyers are finding it difficult to jumpstart their construction with several of their key building components … Continue reading Supply Chain Issues & Your Project Timeline
There are many ways to spruce up your outdoor space, but arguably none as striking as adding a timber frame pavilion or pergola kit to your backyard. With a heavy timber pavilion or pergola kit, you not only have the opportunity to elevate the look of your outdoor space but the ability to enjoy your … Continue reading Accessorizing Your Pavilion or Pergola Kit
Like every home builder, DC Structures has had to adjust its pricing to match supply and demand as a result of the lumber surge. However, there are a few unique ways we’re able to keep costs reasonable for clients while adhering to desired timelines and ensuring our clients have only top-quality lumber for their projects. … Continue reading Part II: The Lumber Surge Explained & What This Means for DC Structures
You don’t have to be a market analyst to recognize that lumber prices are at an all-time high. One trip to your neighborhood hardware store will show you that the price of a single 4’ x 8’ plywood board is on par with hand sanitizer at the start of the pandemic. Although the dramatic climb … Continue reading Part I: The Lumber Surge Explained & What This Means for DC Structures
Known for their stunning craftsmanship and unparalleled warmth, heavy timber residences are some of the most sought-after home designs for today’s homebuyers. Yet, you may be surprised to learn that most people can’t tell the difference between the two of the most popular styles for these homes – timber framing and post and beam construction. … Continue reading The Difference Between Timber Frame and Post and Beam Homes
Not everyone dreams of living in a mansion. In fact, a growing number of Americans are investing in smaller homes for their property for a variety of reasons aside from the obvious cost factor. One of the main catalysts driving what’s being called the “tiny home trend” is a shift in mindset from desiring a … Continue reading Small Barn Home Kits: Houses and Cabins Under 1,000 sq. ft.
If you frequent Pinterest, chances are high you’ve come across a number of boards dedicated to farmhouse décor and timber frame interiors. Best described as contemporary rustic, this design style is one of the biggest interior design trends to explode in the last decade as part of a growing obsession with barn-style residences. While rustic … Continue reading Designing a Contemporary Rustic Space
Lighting is one of the most important design aspects in any home, let alone a timber frame home. When done properly, a well-lit timber home showcases the beautiful exposed beams in your space while setting the mood for each room. Since timber homes feature a complex design unlike that of traditional homes, it’s important to … Continue reading Choosing the Right Lighting for Your Timber Home
Oh, the joy of graduating from college just to move back in with your parents! Thanks to staggering student loan debt and an unaffordable housing market, more millennials are living at home than any other generation in the past century. To put it into perspective, that’s one in five adults or 22 percent of millennials. … Continue reading How to Make Personal Space While Co-Living
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
As housing costs continue to skyrocket, more people are warming up to the idea of living in the woods to escape rising rent and mortgage payments. But it’s not just about embracing solitude to cut costs; plenty of Americans want to live in nature because they feel happier and healthier in the great outdoors. While … Continue reading Wilderness Living: Are You Ready to Live in the Woods?
Any equine enthusiast will agree that horses enrich their lives. Aside from the obvious physical benefits that come with ownership, there are many mental, emotional, and social reasons that make buying a horse a great investment. But when it comes to deciding whether to care for your horses at home or board them at a … Continue reading Costs and Considerations of Caring For Your Horse
In recent years, the demand for affordable, eco-friendly housing options has led many prospective homebuyers to start considering unconventional alternatives to traditional homes. While some may cringe at the thought of living in an upgraded tent out in the woods, for others it offers a unique opportunity to bypass record high housing prices and curb … Continue reading Does Alternative Housing Suit Your Lifestyle?
Summer is rapidly approaching, which means it’s time to break out those dusty shorts you stuffed in the back of your dresser drawers and start planning out your sun-filled camping excursions to some of America’s most beautiful parks. However, not everyone is a fan of summer camping. For those who’d rather brave crisper conditions to … Continue reading The Ultimate Guide to Camping in Every Season
The way Americans view their living spaces has been upended with the recent explosion of the shared economy. This trend–exacerbated by the fact that nearly 30% of American adults ages 18-34 stay with their parents–has given rise to an entirely new definition of a roommate. Formerly dormant bedrooms and living spaces can be transformed into … Continue reading Apartment Barn Kits For Family & Financial Gain
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
The Stillwater is a small barn home kit that’s based on a custom structure we designed for satisfied clients in Oklahoma. DC’s designers created a typical modern-style small barn home kit configuration with a lofted bedroom hovering gracefully above a spacious open living area. A straightforward floor plan like this, requires very little thought as … Continue reading Stillwater: The Perfect Small Barn Home Kit
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
Legacies are built from the traditions left behind by those who are led by a desire for something better. This is what our designers wanted to capture in our largest wedding barn kit. The Legacy fuses some of the best wedding barn projects we’ve been involved with. Every feature has been carefully chosen to create … Continue reading The Legacy: A Premier Wedding Barn Kit
The Oakridge is our most popular apartment barn kit. Named after a sleepy country town located between Central Oregon and the Willamette Valley, this kit’s function is as dynamic as it is humble. The Oakridge building kit has gone through many different renditions, with the same durable post-and-beam frame, that are wonderful composites of our … Continue reading The Oakridge Barn Kit: A Popular & Flexible Design
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
Now more than ever, more people are moving from both rural and urban areas—a trend that is slowly redefining urban growth boundaries everywhere. The allure of city living has dwindled over the past five years in exchange for a life in the suburbs. Similarly, those in rural areas who are financially able are moving closer … Continue reading How Urban Growth Boundaries Can Affect Your Property
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
Mustangs brought over from Spain embody the West’s untamable nature. Hundreds of these equine animals once roamed the rolling hills and prairies through snow and rain. Their wild disposition has since traveled through their genealogy, into stables across the country. A horse would never step into a stable if they had their way. They naturally … Continue reading What Makes For Good Horse Stable Design?
Solar is the fastest growing alternative energy source in the world—a trend most would have dismissed as a fluke 48 years ago. That’s because photovoltaic systems back in 1970 were wildly expensive, costing around $70 per kilowatt an hour. Today, you pay significantly less at just 12 cents an hour per kilowatt. The overall price … Continue reading Planning for Solar Panels on Your Barn Home Kit
Weddings are notoriously expensive events for many families and would-be couples. Minus the honeymoon, the average cost for a wedding in the U.S. bounces between $19,182 and $31,970. Still, this is a formative event; a day that sets the tone for many years to come. After all, lasting wedding day impressions are easily made through … Continue reading Outdoor Wedding Pavilion ‘I dos’
This is a fascinating time in rural America. There are more young people looking to embrace farming and more sustainable lifestyles; living closer to nature and growing food for consumption or sale is becoming more attractive to this segment of the population. Those who want to make a change in their lifestyle can find it … Continue reading Buying Land for Your Barn Kit: Tips & Considerations
If there’s one thing most people can agree on, it’s that time spent in a beautiful outdoor setting is never time wasted. The average adult’s morning consists of the kind of chaos that seems to be an unavoidable precursor to the daily dance of shuffling kids to school and racing to work so they can … Continue reading Level Up With A Timber Frame Pavilion Kit
The word ‘barn’ comes with a lot of connotation, and so does the word ‘kit.’ When taken together these two words can make for a negative view of barn kits, and a fundamental misunderstanding of the value they can provide. Further, there’s a tendency to pigeon hole barn kits into a specific category, which makes … Continue reading What’s the Deal With Barn Kits?
The barn home is a classic house design with a timeless aesthetic. With their throwback features and exposed wood finishes, barn homes can be otherwise thought of as houses designed in the style of barns or barns converted into living spaces. While barns may call to mind farm-related images such as livestock and dirty boots, … Continue reading Rustic Inspiration: Barn Home Ideas
Nothing brightens a room like natural light shining through a big window, but what if you could amplify that effect? The addition of a window wall means you can make the most of your outside view, whether that’s a stunning outdoor landscape or a bustling urban scene. Further, window walls add a breath of fresh … Continue reading Room With A View: Planning For A Window Wall
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
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
DC Structures made its name by designing an innovative line of prefabricated post and beam building kits. With a variety of kits ranging in size, price and scope, DC Structures prides itself in the versatility of its offerings. That said, we understand some people won’t always find exactly what they’re looking for in our selection … Continue reading Flexibility for Your Vision: DC Flex Design
When we ask our customers about their experience with DC Structures after the completion of their project, we often hear a similar sentiment—”the process was just so easy!” At DC Structures we take pride in our easy building design process, making every step of our client partnerships as simple as possible. It’s what we refer … Continue reading From Design to Blueprints: Easy Building Design Process
DC Structures built its reputation by designing horse barns and barn-style homes, but what about spaces for your non-equine four-legged friends? Our repertoire of projects consists of countless structures that were created to help equestrian enthusiasts care for their horses. Oftentimes, however, horses aren’t the only animals our customers own. That’s why DC Structures also … Continue reading Dog Kennels and Other Non-Horse Barn Designs
DC Structures values good stewardship of the environment and 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 you … Continue reading Eco Tips: Sustainable Barn Design
There are plenty of reasons to be exhausted by a construction projects, and one of the biggest of those headaches relates to project feasibility. As you begin your design, planning and construction process, it’s important to consider how things like zoning, building on protected lands and other new construction requirements may affect your project. With a … Continue reading Project Feasibility: Can I Build This Here?
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
Are you a classic car nut? With summer inching ever closer, it’s time for your prized investments to come out of hiding and into view. Of course, car shows and warm-weather joy rides would not be possible without adequate car collection storage. DC Structures creates barn kits specifically geared toward the dedicated hobbyist. If classic … Continue reading Barns for Classic Car Collection Storage
Spring is in the air, and business owners and entrepreneurs alike are wondering how to take their wedding and event businesses to the next level. For all the opportunities they provide, barns that can be used as private event spaces have become a top trend in the industry. From rustic weddings to company parties, DC … Continue reading Planning for your Wedding and Event Barn
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
As you may have noticed from your research, there are many nuanced terms associated with the barn building process – even more than DC Builders lists in its glossary! While industry terms like dormers and cupolas are helpful to know in general, there are some essential terms that every buyer should understand before deciding to add … Continue reading Post and Beam vs. Post Frame: Which Framing Method is Better for Your Barn Kit?
There’s a common misconception that buying a pre-engineered kit means your structure will be a cookie cutter project, but that doesn’t have to be the case! With some help from the DC crew and a little imagination, you can totally personalize any kit to be the exact venue you are looking for. With so many … Continue reading Dressing Up Your Wedding Barn
The practice of matrimony has been around in some form or another for thousands of years, so it’s safe to assume your wedding and event business has some longevity to look forward to. Below are five tips to help your wedding barn business find a happily ever after of its own. Buy Real Estate Online … Continue reading 5 Tips to Promote Your Wedding and Event Barn
Church weddings aren’t for everyone, but a wedding barn ceremony could be! Imagine a rustic barn on a hill, with fabric, flowers and lights draped over exposed wood beams made from the Pacific Northwest’s finest timbers. You can smell fresh cedar in the air, and hear the buzzing sounds of nature just outside. For many … Continue reading Summer Wedding Trends: Wedding Barn Bells Are Ringing
Nationwide barn kit company DC Structures has apartment barn projects under construction all over the country. We guarantee our clients builder support throughout the duration of their build, but we also keep in touch simply because we enjoy watching their plans take shape. Building relationships with the people who buy our apartment barn kits is … Continue reading Project Preview: Lake Elsinor Apartment Barn
Ready to take your business to the next level? Whether you’re looking for a heavy-duty work space or a place to conduct your business operations—or both!—the versatile barn workshop kits from DC Structures are a durable and cost-effective solution to your company’s needs. This spacious home business workshop outside Seattle, Washington is a shining example … Continue reading Barn Workshop Kits: Grow Your Business
The process of designing and building a new structure is a lot of work, but it’s not all doom and gloom! Personalizing your structure with barn home accessories is where the fun comes into play, as no house or horse barn would be complete without them. Barn home accessories can be both functional and aesthetic, … Continue reading Finishing Touches: Barn Home Accessories
This beautiful Michigan workshop with living quarters is a stunning example of the versatility of our post and beam building kits. Starting with an Oakridge 60’, this apartment barn design was modified to serve as a functional home base during hunting season. This heavy-duty workshop with living quarters features a five-door garage that provides ample … Continue reading Video: Michigan Workshop with Living Quarters
When you choose between siding options for your house or barn, you’re deciding on the first impression of that building for years to come. What kind of message are you trying to send? Nationwide barn kit company DC Structures boasts an innovative line of flexible and functional post and beam building packages. We fully support … Continue reading First Impressions: Wood or Hardie Siding Options
Arena footing—sounds easy enough, right? Decisions surrounding the footing you choose for your riding arena are a lot more complicated than you might think. Poor footing will subject your horse to an increased risk of injury and long-term degenerative problems. As such, footing selections call for an informed and measured approach that takes a variety … Continue reading Easy on the Hooves: Tips for Planning Horse Arena Footing
DC Structures’ post and beam building kits are designed to bring you closer to your passions—literally! Guided by the idea that where you live and what you love should be one in the same, we offer flexible and functional packages that can be modified to suit your unique lifestyle. This garage with upstairs living quarters … Continue reading 360° Barn Home Tour: Garage With Living Quarters
Remember the good ol’ days when you could avoid the humdrum of homework and chores by escaping to your backyard tree house? Or, if your own childhood was devoid of tree house adventures, then perhaps you secretly long for the return to innocence that was those easier times. Either way, a backyard party barn could … Continue reading Where the Party at? Backyard Party Barn Ideas
For the team at DC Structures, building relationships is just as important as helping customers build their dream barn or barn-style home. We take pride in the quality of our product and service offerings, making client connections a priority both during and after completion of their projects. One of the many benefits of maintaining an … Continue reading Video: Cornelius Apartment Barn Testimonial
Thinking about a remodel for that old wooden barn sitting unused on your property? Here are a few things to consider when planning for a barn conversion. The idea of restoring an old barn into a rustic barn house might sound great in theory, but most of the time it’s a lot more costly and … Continue reading Barn Conversion Cons: Why Remodeling Might Be A Bad Idea
Oregon-based DC Structures partners with clients across the U.S., turning unique visions into pre-engineered materials packages. From apartment barns and barn-style homes to wineries and wedding and event venues, DC has several projects under construction at any given time. Relationship building is the backbone of our operation, which is why DC Structures provides builder support … Continue reading Project Preview: North Carolina Horse Barn
DC Structures designs apartment barns for the dedicated hobbyists; the people who put as much energy into their passions as they do their livelihoods. Much like our clientele, we prefer an original approach. Our innovative line of post-and-beam barn kits offers flexible utility to meet our customers’ unique lifestyle needs. The Oakridge apartment barn is … Continue reading Oakridge Apartment Barns: One Kit, Limitless Potential
Horse barn safety is DC Structures’ top priority when it comes to designing our top-of-the-line barn kits. Injuries pose a real threat to horses, as the road to recovery can be especially arduous for them. There are a number of preventative measures you can take to ensure the safety of your four-legged equine friends. Read … Continue reading No Horsing Around: Pro Tips for Horse Barn Safety
DC Structures helps clients realize their dreams all over the U.S.—but don’t just take our word for it. Our clients’ testimonials paint a clear picture of the DC team’s enthusiastic and dedicated work ethic. “Straight from the horse’s mouth” is an idiom that refers to information that comes from the highest authority—and it feels particularly … Continue reading Video: West Linn Covered Riding Arena Testimonial
DC Structures specializes in top-of-the-line horse barn kits, with horse stall designs that are fit for a stallion. Whatever your equestrian needs, we’ll work with you to modify your plans and produce the best possible horse stall setup for your unique situation. Take a look at our horse stall showcase to see how we’ve turned … Continue reading Best of Mane Street: Horse Stall Showcase
Weighing the pros and cons of farm composting? If you’ve spent time on a farm or out in the wild, you’ve likely taken note of the interconnected nature of bio habitats. Composting is a man-made process that exemplifies the natural cycle of decomposition and fertilization. First, plants are grown in nutrient-dense soils. Then, nutrients from … Continue reading Farm composting: Don’t Waste It, Replace It
In regions of the country where annual snowfall is high, buildings must be adequately engineered to withstand heavy snow loads. Snow loads refer to the weight of snow that a building’s rooftop is designed to hold up against. It takes extensive calculations to determine the proper engineering for each building’s specific needs. Structural engineers rely … Continue reading Structural Snow Loads You Can Count On
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
If you’re thinking about adding a barn or barn-style home to your property, then you’re probably weighing the pros and cons of a pre-engineered package. Don’t let the words kit or package fool you into thinking pre-engineered structures are of lesser quality than their custom-built counterparts. Kits take all the guesswork out of designing and … Continue reading The Pre-Engineered Package Advantage
It takes a village to build a barn—or so the saying goes. Constructing a pre-designed barn package calls for collaborative participation between clients, designers and builders. Nationwide barn kit company DC Structures is a team player when it comes to helping its clients achieve their building goals. We translate clients’ visions for their structures into … Continue reading Why the DC Approach Benefits Builders
Just because it’s a barn kit, doesn’t mean it has to be standard. Personalized kits are just as original as custom builds, and they save you time and money. When you choose DC Structures, you’ll be guided through a streamlined hands-on process to select and modify your kit. We celebrate your individuality, and we want … Continue reading Personalized Kits: Make It Your Own With Options & Upgrades
All lumber and heavy timbers are not created equal—even those that are cut from the same tree species. If you’re thinking about adding a barn to your property, your building’s lumber quality is an important consideration.The quality of the timbers you use for your building will determine the health, beauty and longevity of your timber … Continue reading Selecting Fine Heavy Timbers For Your Build
When you decide to add a new structure to your property, you’ve got to ask yourself one very important question. What kind of investment are you trying to make? There are plenty of barn kit companies out there that can sell you an engineered materials package. The thing is, not all of them can … Continue reading How DC Differs From Other Barn Kit Companies
Start planning the structure of your dreams with the latest DC Structures product catalog, containing loads of information on pricing, materials, construction methods, and much more.
