by Chris McCurry, Nan Chase, Todd Bush (Photographer)
 
Everything old is new again with Bark House Design: A Rustic Style Reclaimed. Resurrected from a practice begun in North Carolina in the 1800s and discontinued in the 1940s after a tragic blight from Asia, designing with bark shingles is again the epitome of sustainable design. Bark requires no toxic chemical treatments, can be harvested locally, and can live again for a century or more in the form of a premium building material, with little added energy use.Rustic, refined, natural, organic, unique, sophisticated, timeless, long lasting-bark shingles are the material of choice for many architects, builders, and homeowners today. They appear in a breathtaking range of projects from mountain to seaside, resort lodges and inns to shopping centers, sports venues and more-and mix well with a range of other building materials, including stone, log, glass, wrought iron, copper, and more. And no matter what variety of rustic styling you prefer-Adirondack, Cowboy, Craftsman, Rustic Revival, Shingle, Modern Rustic-bark used in remodeling can act as a visually pleasing architectural tool to bridge the gaps between old and new.