d. Praubert, Haute Savoie, The Alps, France
Client: Private
Completion Date: Sept 2007
Project Description
Modernisation and refurbishment of a typical Savoyard farm in the French alps where the house and barn share one enormous roof. A new staircase provided physical and visual links between the house and the barn and brought borrowed light into the darker areas of the house. New and old elements were fused in a playful manner. Elements were recycled and given new life. We were using the building’s history as a spring board to interesting spaces and juxtapositions of materials.
The barn was developed into 2 separate appartments. It was important to retain the original hierarchy between the house and the barn. The new timber cladding was left unfinished and timber screens were used to minimise the visual impact of the window openings. A buffer zone within the barn, between the house and the appartments was retained allowing the original soaring heights of the barn to be enjoyed and for a climbing wall to be constructed. The interiors of the appartments have a crisp and contemporary look.
