Torajan. Other examples include the Sundanese leuit and Minang rangkiang. Laos Rice barns in Laos commonly reflect the design of Laotian homes, though they are usually separate buildings from the home. The rice barn, built on wooden or bamboo piles, is usually located near the home or on the edge of the village. Thailand Thailand is a nation whose culture is very much intertwined with rice. Rice barns dot the landscape and the trend of barn conversion has spread to that nation as well. Other structures mimic the traditional rice barn through their architecture. Rice barns in North America United States Rice barns in the United States were most common in the state of South Carolina. Their design reflected their specialized use in rice cultivation. Design In South Carolina rice barns were typically rectangular in shape and of frame construction. The exterior walls were commonly covered with cypress shingles. Brick pier foundations support the structures, which usually climbed two stories high; gable roofs topped most of them off. The second floor could be accessed via an interior stairwell. Window and door placement would vary. Entrance doors, however, were often found at the end of one of the barn's long side walls and into the hay loft on the second floor. References Barns Barn, Rice Rice production