Date. September 2020_December 2020_Semester 9
Location. La Chouette du Chai_Cazevieille
Type. Accomodation_Private
Client. Sylvie & Alain Guiraudon
Unit. Meter (m)
Exercise instructions: think of an unusual lodging situation for visitors of the domain. Duo work alongside Axel Sapone.
The project takes place at La Chouette du Chai, which is a wine estate in Cazevieille. Deemed fairly accessible, it is a five-minute drive from the village centre, as well as being open to hikers thanks to the multiple trails cutting across the domain.
La Chouette du Chai is located to the south of the Pic Saint Loup mountain ...
... over which it has a close-up view bestowing a majestic atmosphere upon the estate.
The site being settled in a forest, it benefits from a dynamic of closed and open landscapes, the latter hosting the vines.
Additionally, the forest imposes an accentuated topography upon the domain.
There are a few old buildings on site including, to the North high up, former presbytery and chapel, and to the South below, a former sharecropper farm.
The presbytery and farm have been renovated in order to host, now, the wine-tasting space and the winery. The estate is thus animated by public reception, which explains the existence of a guinguette allowing the holding of festivities.
La Chouette du Chai is growing significantly. Multiple operations, architectural and artistic, are under development on the site; including a new winery project, a few art installations signed by Philippe Pasqua, and a restaurant which will allow the reception of more visitors. Our project’s program is to provide on-site lodging and to offer the estate and the locality’s vibe to the visitors during their stay.
Throughout our visits in the estate, we have noticed a duality of atmospheres on the plot allocated to the project. There is, at certain places, the landscape’s opening to the sky, and at others to the trees’ base in an undergrowth ambience.
We have decided to recreate this duality by implanting the lodges in a way delivering the choice between the top and the bottom of the slope.
In order to accompany the lodging program, we have chosen to offer multiple spaces to the visitors allowing them to enjoy the estate. They will be able to take a walk through nature, gather together, or isolate themselves and relax.
It seemed crucial to leave some sort of freedom to the visitors in order for them to stroll around under the trees, which we have experienced during our visits and have found extremely enjoyable.
The existing greenery is thus densified to recreate a forest ambience within the parcel, so you could walk between fruit trees ...
... and along the vegetable gardens which would benefit the restaurant, on-site animation or any type of produce-making.
There is no waymarked path on this part of the plot because we prefer the freedom it implies. A main trajectory is simply elicited with the trees’ spacing.
It is evidently possible to lay in the grass or under the trees, however there is always the possibility of gathering around the fireplace, ...
... while sitting with your head near the plants.
Thus this space is an invitation to conviviality around the fire, ...
... as well as holding animations and feasts.
It is also organised in a way allowing an open view on Philippe Pasqua’s artwork.
During the midseasons and warmer days, a swimming pool and its appurtenances would be accessible to the domain’s visitors.
The swimming pool is settled in a naturally existing depression around the trees, a naturally mild part of the site’s topography.
Its appurtenances are hidden under the trees for them to offer shade.
It is a question of offering a relaxing moment in a poolhouse ...
... that is built like a glasshouse, where the surrounding foliage can be easily observed.
Further south, ...
... two sauna spaces create an invitation to relax in a more cabin-in-the-woods atmosphere.
Here, the main focus of the view are the trees’ bases that are seen from the hot area.
After discussing the project with one of the estate’s owners, we have have decided on having individual lodges, offering privacy, a possibility to isolate oneself and partly live in the forest. In that respect, the lodges find themselves half-buried on two parts of the slope, offering a view on the canopy from the top and an undergrowth view from the bottom.
During our discussions, we were able to determinate which materials to envision in the project, concrete in particular, which blends well into the natural setting. The goal is not to overuse stone on site, as it is the main construction material of the existing buildings. The estate’s owners’ aspiration is for the lodging program to have an atypical side to it; which we have partially translated into the project’s look. The lodges thus have an industrial look that fits well with the overall feel on site and its due projects, notably Philippe Pasqua’s steel tower that will established in the future restaurant.
Each housing unit is bordered by two large shear walls with no openings, between which three spaces are set up.
Firstly, there is the night space, which offers a warm and confortable atmosphere to its occupants. It is delineated by two furniture units. The first one is a storage complex with a built-in desk and television, that separates the night space from the hall. The second unit is a complex that clusters hygiene functions like the toilet and vanities, as well as an open fireplace facing toward the night space, adding to its atmosphere. This concept’s aim is to free the space from any walls as the furniture units are used to create separations.
The bathroom, that is separated from the night space by the second unit, is an intermediate space that offers the possibility of having an outdoors bathroom by fully opening the folding bay window. It is a pivotal space in the lodge’s concept as it allows the bathroom to be a part of the terrace, transforming the whole space into an exterior lodge living under the stars.
In order to feed the concept, a sleeping accommodation is created on a promontory allowing the occupants to sleep comfortably outside, as a fire basket creates a cosy atmosphere. The bedding and the table below immerse the visitor in the forest, allowing them to live in the trees.
There are two major views from the lodge. By not creating any opening in the walls, we have focused on leading the eye to two major sceneries.
While in the night space, the glass being entirely open, the visitor’s gaze is brought up to an unobstructed view of the sky. They can thus enjoy a dynamic and natural sight while laying in bed, as the view changes between night and day.
When leaving the night space, the roofing switches to an entirely opaque steel sheet one. Associated with the walls, they push the gaze outside as they close the interior space, letting the occupant enjoy a view through the trees.
Lastly, the terrace being open to the surrounding wilderness, the height of the outdoor furniture brings the eye to ground level, bringing it closer to the low plants.
In summary, three distinct spaces are featured : an interior space that is open to the sky, an exterior one that escapes through nature, and the intermediate being the interface between interior and exterior, bringing a whole versatility aspect to the lodge.
In order to create the three different spaces, we have opted for an adaptable structure that allows us to develop the two materials that we have preemptively chosen : concrete and steel. A steel frame with steel trusses lay on the shear walls. The complex supports a steel sheet roof made up of insulated sandwich panels, offering a steel sheet soffit for a very industrial look to the interiors.
The walls support a dutch-style glass house above the night space, that has openings in the top part. In combination with the ground-coupled heat exchanger (Canadian well), these openings actively participate in the lodge’s ventilation during warm days. The installation of exterior blackout screens helps covering up the roof in order to regulate daylight and the interior temperature. During colder days, the Canadian well acts as a heater by forcing heated air inside, thus adding up to the usage convenience that the fireplace has to offer. The lodges being half-buried, the ground is used as an insulator that the interiors benefit from : heating when it’s cold and refrigeration when it’s warm. This thermal continuity is ensured by realisation of insulated foundations and a concrete apron.
These structural solutions have multiple advantages. Thermal comfort during cold days is ensured by the Canadian well and the fireplace. Heating needs are still existant, yet controlled with the possible revalorisation of the wood picked up after tree maintenance. During warm days, the glass house having automatic opening and covering, combined with the Canadian well’s action, help temper the interiors’ atmosphere. Additionally, the glass house and bay window provide enough daylight throughout the year, thus diminishing the lodge’s energy needs.
The industrial structure allows us to develop a polyvalent roof that ensures a continuity between the glass house and the steel sheets, while limiting any thermal wastage. The terrace concept positions the user at ground level, wherever they might choose to settle.
This structure participates in the lodge’s operation and atmosphere. It also is a part of the whole project’s scenery, that aims to create a connection between the existing and future projects at la Chouette du Chai.
