Form Follows Function: A Clever Norwegian Design Feature for Barns

Barns in Scandinavia have steeply-pitched roofs, to deal with heavy snow loads. A steeply-pitched roof also provides useful space for a hayloft or grain storage area. Stored well above ground level, there's no danger of the hay or grain being ruined by flooding, and the aboveground air circulation helps the materials dry faster. But second-story storage creates a physical challenge. Hay bales and grain are heavy. Getting these things up and down from the loft consumes two of a farmer's...