At first, she thought about continuing the remodel. Then, she worked her connections with the long-time, home-improvement brand and media company This Old House.   She inspired them to build their first Idea House in the Midwest: Her own 3,700 square-foot dream home, the "Modern Barnhouse."

"After looking at all of the sustainable approaches, technologies, and products that go into homes, from Passive House to LEED," Matthews says, "I decided to pull from all of these ideas. Also, there is a budget: I'm a single mom and run several businesses. So, I look at the return on investment. To me, it's about piecing things together that work for your climate and budget."

"I knew what I wanted," she says. "I needed someone to draw it. He was open and understanding, and it's been exciting to be creative with Colin and his team." For more on the site, view Matthews' video here.

Even before the old existing house was demolished and Matthews broke ground, she spent hours on the site. "I gave myself lots of time to understand the land and the light," she explains. "I wanted to know what sunrise, sunset, and every hour in between would look like through every window. I was 'tuning' the windows—it's a Scandinavian principle—to capture and maximize light and views."

Glass, Concrete, and SIPs

The construction team laid out the foundation forms in the shape of the 100-foot-long by 20-foot-wide home. The 14-by-15-foot wings on either side of the far end of the foundation are for the dining room and family sunroom; floor-to-ceiling windows will offer panoramic views of the farmstead. After the forms were filled with rebar-enforced concrete, they were removed. Then the team affixed rigid foam insulation to the exterior and interior foundation walls.

How Did the Modern Barnhouse Build the Walls?

Matthews chose to build her walls with SIPs (structural insulated panels). "The home's eight-inch-thick walls make the structure feel sturdy and old," Matthews says, "and there's no thermal bridging, so it's an air-tight, solid house."