Farmhouse renovation
The project involves the rehabilitation of a former farmhouse building that had long stood vacant. Originally used to accommodate agricultural workers, it forms part of a group of structures arranged around a central courtyard. The clients’ primary ambition was to transform this place into a welcoming retreat where family and friends could gather and spend weekends together.
The design seeks to establish a new continuity between the three main volumes — the open barn, the central building, and the dovecote — which had previously been fragmented into a series of small, compartmentalized rooms. This continuity is achieved through the creation of two distinctive openings in the load-bearing walls, linking the spaces from the tower to the planted barn.
Until now, the building lacked any true outdoor living area. The former barn has therefore been reimagined as the main outlook from the living space: a semi-interior landscape whose curved forms echo the newly created openings, establish a dialogue with the farm courtyard, and frame the massive stone fireplace, carefully preserved and brought back into use.
The layout of the rooms is determined by the logic of the existing façade openings. None of these openings has been altered or removed; instead, the project seeks to make full use of the specific qualities of each one.
On the upper floor, the intermediate ceilings have been removed to reveal the generosity of the original volumes and to maximize the natural light provided by the existing dormer windows on the main façade. The tower regains its original vertical character, exposing once again the mechanisms of the bell structure above, which formerly punctuated daily life on the farm and have now been restored.
The new spaces are designed to accommodate flexible and evolving uses while remaining adaptable over time. The upper-level living room can alternately function as a dormitory during gatherings, with mattresses stored within the stepped seating arranged around the central hearth; a private performance venue using the tiered seating and curtain at the back of the room; a screening room; or a variety of other uses.
This reorganization is accompanied by a comprehensive thermal renovation. The thickness of the existing masonry walls, combined with new internal insulation that reveals the original stone façades previously concealed beneath a non-breathable cement render, contributes to both the building’s thermal inertia and overall comfort.
The design also includes careful attention to bespoke integrated furniture. Built-in masonry benches emphasize the existing changes in floor level; a continuous run of cabinetry conceals the entrances to private rooms; stepped seating provides access to the half-level of the dovecote while incorporating storage and seating; and a library wall highlights the blind wall positioned behind the circular opening.
Raw materials — concrete, ash wood, stainless steel, and sheep’s wool — are combined with bold accents of colour, creating a dialogue with the softness of curved lines and natural tones.
