House in Montigny-le-Tilleul | Miguel Paternostre

The project is located on the wooded heights of the Sambre valley, with a panoramic view over one of its meanders.

The terraces of a single-family home are to be redesigned as well as its interaction with the garden. In addition, we sought to anchor the house in its site and establish a link with the landscape.

In addition, the western orientation of the rear glazed facade leads to overheating in summer, prompting us to plant a large tree to the southwest.


The project develops along an axis perpendicular to the existing building, pointing towards the flat front garden and rear panorama. On this side, the land is wooded and slopes steeply down to the river. A new terrace is built here, below the house. It offers a shady spot, surrounded by trees giving it vertical momentum. 

A link is established here with the Sambre by expressing the water cycle. A cistern collects rainwater, which flows onto the terrace via two fountains and is redistributed for domestic use in the house. The overflow from the cistern is dispersed over the hillside, and the water ends up in the Sambre to continue its cycle. 

These fountains thus evoke the continuous movement of life and our interdependence with nature. 


The second terrace is positioned at the front, against the kitchen, which is reoriented towards the garden and the children's play area. A vegetable garden faces the south gable, in the main axis of the house. 
 
The hall will also be converted into a music room, a reception area acoustically insulated with cork panels on its walls and ceilings.