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BLACKLICK, OH – The renovated 100-year-old barn that today serves as administrative offices and program space at Shepherd's Corner has been recognized with the "Designing Toward Sustainability" Award by the Columbus Chapter of the American Institute of Architects. The award honors projects that promote sustainable design and are friendly to the environment.
The barn was dismantled at its original location, with beams and columns numbered and preserved, then moved to Shepherd's Corner's property, where it was rebuilt and adapted to serve the office- and program-space needs of the ministry. Jack Hedge, a principal at DesignGroup Columbus, created the new design of the building.
Most of the barn's original materials were reused, honoring the integrity of the structure while integrating some modern alterations. Ecologically sensitive updates, like passive solar heating and natural lighting, were incorporated in the rebuild, following the guidelines of the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Program, a voluntary consensus-based national standard for developing high-performance sustainable buildings.
Today, a large program/assembly space graces the majority of the barn interior, where children and adults engage in environmental, agricultural, and spiritual learning at Shepherd's Corner. Art rooms dedicated to clay, fiber, painting, and other creative endeavors are used for programs that emphasize the spiritual side of artistic expression. Another highlight of the reconstructed barn is the large farm-style kitchen, where much of the food grown at Shepherd's Corner is washed and packaged before delivery to local food kitchens and pantries. The kitchen also provides ample space for canning and preserving the harvest for program use. In addition to programming space, the barn houses new offices for the staff of Shepherd's Corner and includes an attached shed that provides storage for implements and hand-tools used in farming the organic fields.
Along with DesignGroup Columbus' architectural contributions, other organizations and individuals made the barn project possible. The Pizzutti Company donated the barn itself to Shepherd's Corner, the Durable Slate Company rebuilt the structure, and John Forgos and Associates served as the general contractor. Generous financial support from the Harold C. Schott (HCS) Foundation and the Charles Frederick Goss Foundation was paramount in making the project possible. Shepherd's Corner is also grateful for the many other organizations and individuals who contributed financial and in-kind donations and volunteer hours to support the project.
Shepherd's Corner is a ecology-spirituality ministry of the Dominican Sisters of St. Mary of the Springs, which seeks to give witness to Catholic Social Teaching on the importance of caring for the Earth as responsible stewards of God's creation.
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