H Project | Margot Aurensan Architecte

The house is designed with a focus on sobriety and simplicity, both in terms of volumes and materials, ensuring it blends harmoniously with its natural surroundings. The aim is to preserve the green character of the site, while creating a structure that adapts perfectly to the existing topography. The garden level, nestled against the slope, offers a seamless connection to the landscape, while the ground floor is carefully set back, presenting the illusion of a single-story building from the main street.

From the outset, the exceptional nature of the site shaped the direction of the project. The breathtaking view of the Pyrenees was envisioned as an essential component of the design, prompting the creation of an expansive exterior terrace that extends the interior living space. By opening the large bay windows, the two areas – indoor and outdoor – become a unified space, blurring the boundaries between nature and the home.

Materials were selected with the intention of creating a harmonious integration into the heavily wooded environment. The use of burnt wood as the primary cladding material allows the house to gently merge with the surrounding forest. The foundation of the structure is a reinforced concrete base with micro-piles, necessary due to the unstable sandy soil. The ground floor, raised above the earth, is finished in brick, clad in the same burnt wood, completing the home’s natural aesthetic.

Photography: Sandrine iratcabal