Set within an exceptional natural environment in the heart of Hossegor’s pine forest, architect Margot Aurensan has designed a house defined by restraint, conceived as a sensitive response to its site and topography. Completed in 2022, the project favors volumetric simplicity and material authenticity, allowing it to recede gracefully into the landscape.

From the entrance, the house appears to be single-storey. In reality, it carefully follows the slope of the land, with a garden level anchored into the gradient and an upper floor naturally aligned with the street. This siting strategy minimizes the building’s visual impact and enhances its integration within the wooded setting.

One of the project’s key challenges was to highlight views of the Pyrenees. From the living areas, large glazed openings frame the landscape, extending the interior onto a terrace conceived as a natural continuation. When fully opened, the boundaries between inside and outside dissolve, allowing the house to breathe with its surroundings.

In terms of materials, the use of charred wood cladding reflects both an aesthetic and environmental approach. This dark envelope, inspired by the Japanese shou sugi ban technique, enables the house to blend into the vegetation while providing durable protection against the elements.

With a floor area of 191 sqm, complemented by a 32 sqm garage, the house occupies a footprint of nearly 290 sqm. The project exemplifies a precise architecture, grounded in reality, attentive to both the scale of the site and that of everyday living.

A graduate of the Paris-Belleville School of Architecture in 2015, Margot Aurensan continues here her exploration of how to inhabit sensitive landscapes, balancing constructional rigor with a poetic sense of place.

Team:

Architects: Margot Aurensan Architecte

Photographer: Sandrine Iratçabal