Tour a Modern & Rustic Horse Property in Virginia

This carefully planned farm sits on 90 rolling acres in the Shenandoah Mountains.

Nestled in a mountainous region in Virginia is Meadow Creek Farm, a private horse farm in the Shenandoah Mountains. In 2017, the farm owners called upon Blackburn Architects to design an 8-stall barn, a sizable indoor arena with an observation lounge and manage the overall property site planning (vehicle service access, farm roads and riding trails, parking, dry lot/sacrifice paddocks). Blackburn also managed the placement of run-in pasture sheds and included an O2 compost system to break down manure.

The clients wanted to build their dream barn and arena in this special place. They were working with a trainer, who has become the farm manager, to breed and train Rocky Mountain horses. They wanted to create a facility to provide the highest level of care to the horses they love.

Photos by Chad Jackson Photography

Ian Kelly was the lead architect working on this project. He worked diligently to find the perfect site location for the new buildings. Drainage, natural ventilation, the location of the sun throughout the year along with the client’s wishes for the overall look and feel for the property all had to be considered. The historic farm site dated back to the 1600s. The lush property has two active streams running throughout the acreage, plus a pond and an apple orchard. These permanent fixtures would dictate the placement of the new construction. One of the biggest challenges for Ian was creating harmony between the land and buildings, not overpowering the site with large structures.

Guests enter Meadow Creek from the parkway, above the west side of the farm. Immediately, the view is of a lush green meadow leading down to a pond before disappearing into the trees beyond. During master planning, Blackburn Architects placed the barn and arena on the east side of the existing pond with paddocks between the pond and the farm entry drive. Driving down the hill, approaching the barn from the north, you begin to take in the view of the indoor riding arena connected to the east side of the barn by an enclosed connecting link. The pond was enlarged to accommodate additional stormwater run- off from the new barn, with paddocks filtering the water.

The barn has eight stalls, a spacious tack room, along with dedicated vet and farrier areas. Interlocking rubber pavers are installed throughout the barn floor. There is also a covered, connecting passage between the barn and arena offering protection from weather elements year-round.

A lot of the design inspiration came from the nearby Blue Ridge Parkway, a breathtaking road winding through the surrounding mountains. The design fuses together elements from Texas and mountain country. The overall result is a rustic feel with clean lines.

Indoor Arena & Lounge

The arena is set four feet below the stable pad to reduce its scale on site; taking advantage of natural grade changes to ensure the focus is on the barn as you arrive. The indoor is 100’x200’ with a well-appointed attached observation lounge.

The beautiful arena ceiling was designed to cover up wiring and less desirable aspects of the metal roofing. The wooden design allows air to flow freely and prevents condensation from building up in the ceiling since the building isn’t insulated (with the exception of the observation room and bathroom). The function of maintaining that airspace lends to the overall look of the ceiling.