This project is a question of conscience for an architect. When a customer asks you to build in a villa zone, several avenues open up to you: „Building a low-density offering is not part of our ethics, we refuse...“ – „If we don’t do it someone else will, so why not experiment with another means of building...“ We chose the second option and adopted an architect’s somewhat selfish mindset : „I am building for myself“. In this relatively featureless villa zone on the plain of the River Rhone at the foot of le Chavalard, the only redeeming feature is the clear view stretching to the horizon. The challenge was considerable : to build a family home while restricting costs to the minimum. The presence of villas, the water table and the few inspirational reference points in the surrounding area were constraints that drove us to suggest a single-storey building covered by two opposing gable roofs that were materialised very simply : walls made from industrial cases and a roof made from corrugated iron, supported by a visible metallic frame. The inner walls that would come into contact with the inhabitants were made from crude spruce while the upper sections consisted of visible metal sheeting. By keeping the construction simple,in a sort of experimentation or life-size model which would one day be demolished, we created the possibility of subsequent densification – like an experimental exhibition house.
Material Used:
1. Crude spruce
2. Visible metal sheeting
3. Industrial cases
4. Roof made from corrugated iron
5. Visible metallic frame