THE CRAFTSMAN AND THE ARCHITECT

In an highly-defined context, architecture is synonym of finding a poetic, sensitive answer that evokes the village and its history, which has forged its very singular character. The project introduces the architect as a conscious artist who comes to the site to gather the material for his project. Through a sensitive look, a journey through the village is to inspire an ingenious and conscious composition. It is about being aware of what nature gives us to create and the value of what it represents.

The house. At its centre, two exterior spaces welcome a pleasant greenery. This space is the lung of these two habitats; it is all around, and in this fracture between the garden and the thick skin of rammed earth and stone, that the living spaces develop. Upstairs, this skin opens onto the landscape in vast areas dedicated to private offices and ateliers for manual work.

The brief for the project did also involved the architect in a variety of positions. The first position for the architect was to be a counsellor for the association and to lead the development of the project towards a fully understandable and cohesive project for potential investors.

Counsel regarded the architectural respond to the existing ruins and the historical aspect of the village. It also provided subtilities concerning the alternative character of the proposed social organisation. The original idea was to make manual trade mandatory, to prohibit real estate property or sail as well as legacies, or finally to ban self-extension or constructions. These had to be challenged and question to be refined to sound less intrusive for potential inhabitants.

Biolcimatic Design Approaches

The beneficial thickness of the earth that makes up the walls creates an enveloping atmosphere, while the rhythm of the woodwork suggests more open and luminous spaces. These are articulated around heights that vary to create intimacy or, on the contrary, spaces to be shared with a greater luminosity. The private garden is a space dedicated to the fullest appropriation of the inhabitant. The absence of partitioning elements in the interior spaces asserts open spaces that can be adapted to changes in use and function in the future.

Bioclimatic design approaches have been used regarding natural cross ventilation, utilizing northern winds to cool the spaces by using the high thermal mass capacity of stone and rammed earth. Apertures on the south are protected by the roof extension, while glazing on the north is limited to smaller areas, especially for the sleeping units. The skylights are pierced on north facing roof slopes to avoid overheating.

Concerning natural light, the light analysis showed that an average of 62% of daylight autonomy was distributed evenly on the living spaces. Criteria implied an occupancy from 7am to 7pm, with >300lux as I wanted to ensure that if the usage were to change (e.g., office spaces or retail) the design would still provide enough natural lightning. Further analysis show that the sleeping units never face over lit situations (>2000 lux). Rotative sunshades have been added to better protect from the sun and to create intimacy from the garden and living spaces when needed.

Teacher Y. Hoffert