See a Party Barn Shaped Like a Game Piece on the California Coast

Tagged As:

With an present permit for a barn on their 16-acre property, Stuart Gasner and Kate Ditzler of California’s Monterey Bay Area decided to make something that would complement their compound-style retreat and supply additional play area for their family and friends. The couple worked with architect Cass Calder Smith of CCS Architecture to make what Gasner calls “the Monopoly-style residence.”

“We wanted to perform a simple prefab structure to save on construction costs, as the only reason we built a barn was that the present permit,” says Gasner. “The initial design was too expensive — there were also many roof angles we opted for something extremely simple and easy to build.”

Barn in a Glance
Location: Aptos, California
Size: 1,600 square feet
Designer: CCS Architecture

Shannon Malone

The present permit was to get a barn with a bathroom. Calder Smith got creative and worked round the permit, still utilizing the allowed site to design the building in a means that was better suited to the couple’s aesthetics. The outside of the barn is Cor-Ten steel. Most of the interior is plywood.

Shannon Malone

The family has used the area for their past three Thanksgiving celebrations. “We used it to host 48 family members to turkey,” says Ditzler. Paper lanterns from their past Thanksgiving feast remain, including a fun splash of color.

Shannon Malone

Shannon Malone

Gasner was heading to Santa Cruz to browse for 20 years, and had a room to exhibit and store his collection of surfboards. The downstairs seating area was created around the colors of one of the most prized possessions, a longboard by a legendary board shaper and surfer.

Shannon Malone

A wood-burning stove from Rais and a shag rug create a comfy hangout.

Shannon Malone

There is a lime-green billiards table in the center of the barn’s upstairs loft; it can be converted to a Ping-Pong table.

Shannon Malone

Colorful cushions line the entire uloft, intended for overflow sleeping accommodation. The cushions are the dimensions of twin beds and are covered in fabric from Pindler & Pindler.

Shannon Malone

The greatest design challenge that the few faced was making a space that could serve all of their needs. They wanted a workspace, a playspace, a sleeping area and storage area, with everything adaptable enough to allow for enormous parties. They got a little of everything.

See related