An old farm near the Gironde Estuary
Chenac-Saint-Seurin-d’Uzet, France
2022

* Title: Extension & reconversion of an old farm near the Gironde Estuary

* Address: Chenac-Saint-Seurin-d’Uzet, France

* Year of construction: 2022

* Thematic focus: Reuse and transformation of existing structures

 * Project text: Located in a small hamlet in Charentes-Maritimes (FR) overseeing the Gironde estuary, an existing barn is transformed into a holiday house.

The project is conceived as a sequence of differentiated volumes each with its own orientation and distinct characteristics. The first gesture is to propose an extension widely open onto the estuary. The pre-existing buildings were originally organized around a shared courtyard with the neighbors to meet the needs of agriculture and animal rearing, thus ignoring the view. The extension hosts the main collective spaces for the family (kitchen, living and dining area, wood stove) and gives access to a large covered terrace. The second gesture is to remove a roof between two of the existing volumes to create a patio. This new outdoor space, directly linked to the terrace of the extension, is well protected from the wind allowing for an alternative atmosphere and use. Out of these two operations results a project made of juxtapositions of volumes, circulation, usages and materials. 

In the region of Charentes-Maritimes, houses with limestone rubble stone walls are typical, but these structures often present challenges due to moisture and antiquated construction techniques. To address this, on-site poured concrete frames were introduced to create broad openings and bolster the walls. The new extension fuses three distinctive elements to establish its material identity: a primarily closed timber facade facing the street, a bare concrete portico supported by three posts and a beam, and an impressive colonnade comprising five polished concrete columns. Atop these columns rests the timber roof structure that shapes the volume. The repurposed barn thus establishes a fresh discourse between the old and the new, conjuring intriguing compositions of raw materials, spaces, and geometric forms. The design incorporates multiple access points, creating a labyrinth of routes that seamlessly intertwine outdoor and indoor spaces. 

01 Why is this project particularly relevant for Pionira?

The project intends to showcase how old buildings can be brought to life and create unexpected architectural qualities made possible by the coexistence of old and new together. The clients had from the beginning this desire to live within old and new, without sacrificing energy comfort. As an ecological approach, the project takes advantage of its solar orientation to ensure a minimum energy consumption. A minimalistic intervention on the existing parts showcases as well the will to preserve what is already there, the as found, to sublime it through simple gestures, performed with economy of means.

02 What have you learned from the project? What challenges did you encounter, and how did you solve them?

03 What advice could you provide, based on the project? What guidance would to pass on to others? 

Start and develop a project without following the advice you may have heard! Let the structure, the choice of materials and the spatial considerations be hybrid and multiple, rather than dogmatic and preconceived. Let the construction process inform the design and embrace imperfections, bringing vitality to architecture where life can flourish !

04 How would you like to build in the future? 

Name: Exension & reconversion of an old farm near the Gironde Estuary
Location: Chenac-Saint-Seurin-d'Uzet, France
Photography by: Gion von Albertini
Type: Places
 
Posted: March 2024
Categories: reuse, rural future, france

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