Surrounded by nature in a forest overlooking the north-side of Mount Pyrenees, a sixteenth-century mansion is refurbished by Plan Común Office.
With a limited budget and aiming least interference in structure, architects focus on the southern part of the construction. The new south facade has become the main one. Functional spaces are adjusted relatively with extra new rooms and an outdoor area for communal activities.
“We concentrate on the old barn in order to redefine its whole construction. The ground floor is transformed to a grand living room, other spaces in the house are organised around this particular area.” Plan Común shares
A part of the collapsed barn’s wall is reconstructed as a cyclopean wall using large stones with different sizes and shapes. The new concrete wall is fabricated from purple and yellow stone found on site.
Photo
Maxime Verret
Editor
Ha Thu Pham
The terrace on top of the living room opens up to a natural landscape with eight openings scattered around offering the fluid exchanges between the interior and exterior, simultaneously providing natural light and ventilation.
For power-saving purposes, the house only operates a minimum heating system. As such, the living space of the family will be much compacted together during winter.
“We genuinely pay attention to utilise common, inexpensive and manageable building materials. A natural swimming pool at the front of the house is equipped with biological filtration.” say the architects
