nathan
cilona
info
200 plan libre : anatomy of an architectural journal
plan libre 200 : neither building nor demolishing
plan libre 198 : happy medieval time
plan libre 197 : tinies
plan libre 196 : roundabouts
plan libre 195 : disappointment of the form
new fictions for architecture
architecture’s photogenicity at the instagram era
altered memory of space
[coll.] synopsis
juliette picherit, portfolio
atelier d’architecture david huet
places
faces
jars
villa florisa
Palimpsest of a Family Home by the Sea
In the Manche region, facing the sea, a small family home has been in constant transformation since its construction in the 1960s. This simple, single-story pavilion originally has been gradually altered by its inhabitants — a second floor for the children's bedrooms, another room in the garden for guests, a veranda to extend the living room, a garage to store the tractor used for fishing, and some landscaping to allow for outdoor dining and the cultivation of various flowers. With each evolution of the family, the house has adapted to the needs of the children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Today, this family home, which was previously only occupied in the summer, has recently become the primary residence of its owners. But as age advances and physical condition diminishes, it is time for this house to adapt once again to its inhabitants.
This project is an interior renovation, a compliance upgrade to PMR (Persons with Reduced Mobility) standards, and a façade re-cladding to improve the home's thermal performance. The architectural gesture, though modest, is focused on facilitating circulation, requalifying living spaces, and guiding the owners through their disability. The entire approach is rooted in a form of overall economy — financially as well as spatially — to avoid denaturing the house or disrupting the familiar environment to which its inhabitants are so attached.
Regarding the PMR compliance, the interventions concern the second work phase: complete rehabilitation of the bathroom and kitchen, replacing hinged doors with wide sliding doors, and creating temporary ramps for accessing the elevated house. The result is a hybrid home, adapted for autonomous wheelchair use but also comfortable for its inhabitants and occasional guests. The aim is not to emphasize the difference, to avoid highlighting the disability.
On the exterior, this house suffers from accelerated aging due to the salt-laden wind, storms, and even flooding caused by its proximity to the seafront. Having never been inhabited year-round, it also lacked an adequate heating system for comfortable winter living. We have therefore also undertaken the installation of a heat pump, complemented by external insulation.
Over 60 years of family life have been built here, in this home that has always been modified according to the winds, the children, and the grandparents.