On the Thursday of Week 4 of Yestermorrow’s Semester in Design/Build, we took a much-needed field trip after several days in the classroom, building our first half-scale framing models. The outing took us to several past Yestermorrow projects around East Warren and ended with a tour of our instructor Britton Rogers’ home. The timing was ideal, it coincided with us finalizing our floor plans and beginning the framing process. Each structure we visited offered design ideas that either inspired or confirmed choices we were making in our own work.

Our first stop was the East Warren Market. We sat outside as Britton explained the historical significance of the land beneath our feet. The market building was once the original Warren Schoolhouse. Though the area is now quiet and open, it used to be the heart of the town before the center moved closer to the river with the rise of mill-powered towns. While the schoolhouse stayed in place and became a market, Yestermorrow has recently purchased the land across the street, a blank canvas for future projects.

Behind the market, we visited a straw bale storage structure built by a previous Yestermorrow class. Though weathered and now home to a massive beehive, it was a beautiful example of thoughtful design: a white façade, wooden roof with deep overhangs, and an arched door with a flame-like detail engraved onto it. It had a grounded, Tuscan-inspired feel while still being suited for Vermont’s climate. The overhang provided protection from the weather and outdoor storage space. It was especially helpful to see a structure that incorporated elements we were passionate about but remained close in size to the single-occupancy housing (around 350 square feet) we’re designing for campus.

Nearby, we explored a half-shed structure also built by Yestermorrow students. It was designed for storing gardening tools and featured a large stone sink, polycarbonate panels for natural light, and a deep work counter. However, the plywood floor had started to warp, likely due to a shallow roof overhang that didn’t offer enough protection from the sun and rain. The siding was made from wood milled on Yestermorrow’s campus, with the tree bark intentionally left on to add texture and interest. Seeing the framing and exposed elements was especially helpful for us as we learned the fundamentals of building structure.

We loaded back into the van and headed into the woods for our next stop. As we walked through the woods, a treehouse suddenly loomed above us. Suspended between two trees growing through its interior, the structure had a modern, pentagonal form with an orange and black exterior. Inside, it felt like a lounge, with a large deck holding two laid-back Adirondack chairs and a second-story loft. Three of the four walls were made of screen material, allowing us to feel completely surrounded and suspended. The deck overlooked a dry riverbed, still peaceful, but it was easy to imagine how impactful the sound of flowing water would be to this already serene experience. This treehouse was a refreshing contrast to the previous structures. It was clean, modern, and uniquely built. The deck, in particular, caught our interest, something many of us are passionate about incorporating into our own designs.

Our final stop on the tour of East Warren was our instructor Britton Rogers’ house. The home was built in the 1960s and is hexagonal in plan, giving the facade a unique and intriguing appearance. Britton described the dilapidated state of the roof as well as the water damage the home suffered from when he first purchased the property. He described the great lengths he went through to reroute the water under and around his house, as well as fix the roof with the addition of a deeper overhang. The interior of the home was warm with the glow of the sun and the deep shade of wood that covered the walls. A memorable feature was a large bump-out of windows that draped from the second story down to the living room, revealing sweeping views of Mad River Glen and allowing the sunlight to heat the living room. As my group had spent the past couple of days working out a floor plan that was a pentagon in plan view, we were excited to see how a space with more than four walls can be extremely functional without large amounts of square footage. His home was impeccably decorated and efficient, not only environmentally but also architecturally. We saw firsthand how you could turn a mid-century modern home into an environmentally friendly structure while maintaining its history and original form. A key feature of the home was its covered entryway that transitioned to the mudroom inside the house. With the harsh weather of the area, it’s essential to have shelter from the elements and a space inside to shed your clothes. Our final design hopes to include a similar covered entry and mudroom.

Our East Warren tour encouraged our designs and flooded us with new ideas. We were introduced to past Yestermorrow build projects that grew the excitement we all have to start building our own project and leave our mark on this community.

-Hazel Johnstone October 8, 2025