Located in the small commune of Hermeray, France, this cottage extension and renovation by Nicola Spinetto Architecte is located near a pond and a wooded plateau that is part of the regional natural park of the Haute-Vallée de Chevreuse. The house, which the clients wished to expand is part of a group of three buildings on the site which all take the typical local form of a longère, complete with a thatched roof.
Thatch has long been used to cover rural roofs, with widespread use due to the low cost of the material and the thermal insulation is provided. However, the thermal performance of the existing houses was not satisfactory for the client, who wanted the lowest possible C02 emissions, with reduced energy consumption and the incorporation of natural materials.
The solution developed by Nicola Spinetto is a fusion between the knowledge of local craftsmen who practice thatching and the latest techniques and expertise of those who practice prefabricated wood construction.
The result is a mix of old and new that bridges innovation and technology with the thatched roof meeting all the requirements of sustainable construction. The roof is a biobased material that can be used without the need for processing and contributes to carbon storage by limiting emissions during construction. Further, the thatched roof solution offers good thermal insulation values and can ultimately be one day recycled simply and efficiently.
The use of CLT in combination makes it possible to save on interior finishes. In particular, the build eliminates the use of plasterboard and paints. All of the panels installed were prefabricated in a factory with a precise format that allowed for very fast assembly on site.
The exterior textured coating responds to the suggested palette of the PNR (Parc Naturel Regional de la Haute Vallée de Chevreuse) and agrees with the palette A (warm neutral colours). The joinery of the extension will stand out with a more contemporary look in galvanized aluminium.
