The Articaous’ Refuge
Built into the slope, the two barns open out onto the Cirque de Lescun.
The first barn once served as a modest dwelling for shepherds. It also housed the space where cheese was stored for aging, taking advantage of the coolness and thermal stability of the stone walls.
The second, larger and more rustic barn was used for livestock and hay storage. Together, they formed a typical pastoral ensemble of the Pyrenean summer pastures.
Long abandoned, they have now regained their role as shelters: one transformed into a family refuge, the other rehabilitated as a summer dormitory.
The Family Refuge – The First Barn Converted into a Home
The stone walls, cleaned and repointed, preserve the memory of the original building. The slate roof has been entirely rebuilt, faithfully restoring the simple and sturdy silhouette of the existing structure. The redesigned and enlarged wooden joinery opens new views onto the valley, letting in both light and landscape.
Inside, lime-plastered stone walls soften the natural light. The ground-floor concrete slab is covered with a varnished screed, adding a subtle mineral texture that harmonizes with the exterior stonework.
Wood is used throughout in various ways: the exposed roof frame is made of fir; the beams and flooring, visible on both sides, are also in fir; the interior fittings, staircase, and built-in furniture are crafted from spruce plywood.
The whole design plays on the duality between stone and wood — between the solidity of the mineral and the warmth of the natural material — creating a balanced and serene interior.
The barn is organized over three levels:
+Ground floor: an open living area connected to the outdoors, centered around the wood stove — both a source of warmth and a gathering point;
+First floor: also accessible from the upper terrain, houses part of the bedrooms;
+Attic: the cleaned and raised roof space now offers new habitable volumes with additional bedrooms.
This renovation restores both purpose and meaning to a vernacular structure without freezing it in time. The intervention focuses on the full rehabilitation of the existing framework, preserving the stone walls while adapting interior volumes to contemporary uses. Local materials and traditional techniques are combined with modern solutions to ensure comfort and durability in harmony with the site.
The Summer Dormitory – The Second Barn
Facing the main barn, the second building has also been restored. Its slate roof, rebuilt following the same logic, ensures visual coherence between the two volumes.
Inside, the floor has been redesigned to create a summer dormitory. The aim was to minimize the intervention’s impact, preserving the simplicity and authenticity of the existing building.
