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Integration into the landscape and respect for the vernacular tradition
by Christiane Burklein on Wednesday, 15th February 2012 in News
The landscape of the Pyrenees, with a spectacular view of the valley and the mountains, frames this project by French architectural practice Puig Pujol Architectures which stands out for the delicate way new spaces are added to expand an old farmhouse and make it into a holiday home.
It’s hard to make out the new construction with its steel structure next to the stone farmhouse in the Adour de Lesponne River valley.
The construction fits discretely into the hill which provides it with its rear wall; the inside is covered with bare stone with drywall construction, almost as if reflecting the landscape around it.
The green roof looks like a natural continuation of the hill, adding to the sense of integration in and enclosure by nature.
Nature, the common thread running through the project, which comes in through the big windows to dominate the interior, becomes part of the home’s simple interiors.
In front of the windows, shifted to the back in relation to the rest of the structure, is the wood left to dry, a function which becomes a part of the overall design, completing the totally natural look of the expansion.
The bare concrete ceiling is visually detached from the rear wall and counterbalanced by the light wood floor.
The expansion is concealed in the landscape, to which it is completely open, inviting us to discover it, and in creative contrast with the existing farmhouse with its small windows, projecting it towards the interior.
The project was awarded the 6th “Prix d'Architecture Midi Pyrenées in 2011”.
Design: Puig Pujol Architectures, http://www.puigpujolarchitectures.fr
Location: Lesponne, Pyrenees, France
Photographs: Philippe Ruault
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