Birdseye was established in the ‘80s as a woodworking company that had a strong interest in design. High-quality work has always been their main focus. Today, it has grown into an all-encompassing, employee-owned architecture and building firm that specializes in carpentry, woodworking, fabrication, interior design, energy solutions, machine operation, and more. Their team of about 50 professionals work diligently every day to produce works of art that can be enjoyed for years to come – in Vermont and Beyond .

The architectural designs that Birdseye produces perfectly balance innovation and tradition. They are renowned for creating modern, yet timeless, architectural designs that both complement and contrast their surroundings.

In late 2019, the American Institute of Architects Vermont Chapter (AIAVT) presented Birdseye with awards for two of their designs: Vista House and Bank Barn, for which the principal architect Brain Mac said, “We’re truly honored to be recognized for both of these projects.”

Vista House, the Merit award recipient, is a mountaintop home in Vermont. When presented with the award, AIAVT mentioned that “the design carefully responds to views and solar orientation to offer a thoughtful composition. Rigor and restraint are exercised in the design of the entire project. Beautifully crafted.”

Birdseye’s design for Bank Barn, a home in Woodstock, VT, won the Honor award. The home is three stories tall and inspired by traditional bank barns, which are built into hills so that they can be entered from either the base or the top of a hill. "Utilizing the sloping topography, the support spaces and garage entrance are concealed below grade to create an extended plinth for the floor above,” Birdseye says in their design description.

Birdseye was also featured in the New York Times article How to Build a Modern Barn by Tim McKeough for their execution of Bank Barn. The design concept came from a Lego model that their client provided them. Birdseye took that Lego model and transformed it into the award-winning architectural design that their clients are now happily settled into.

“We were trying to give it more of a regional feel, in terms of how barns relate to the landscapes of Vermont,” Mr. Mac said.

When presented with the Honor Award, Jeff McBride, project architect at Birdseye said, “We’re proud of this project. Bank Barn was a real team effort, from our clients to our consultants to the builders at Birdseye, everyone helped make the project a success and we are happy to see the attention it has received.”