Barn rehabilitation

The approach. Purchased in 2015 by a Parisian family, this property was meant to be a classic second home. However, our initial assessment identified that the main house was suffering from clay shrink-swell, causing deep structural damage ignored at purchase. Conversely, the adjoining barn, used until then as mere storage, revealed a sound structure, stable foundations and a volume ready to be exploited.

Faced with the prohibitive cost of underpinning the original house, we proposed a change of direction by relocating the main dwelling to the barn. What was supposed to be a garage became the heart of the project. We took advantage of the two large existing volumes, much simpler to insulate and heat than the original building. The main house was kept as-is for summer use or hosting friends.

The architectural intervention. The project slipped into the existing envelope using the full volume. The height to ridge allowed maintaining a "cathedral" impression in the living room, while creating two bedrooms, a bathroom and an open kitchen on a dining room. Exposed stone and lime walls sit alongside a contemporary polished concrete floor. Outside, lime rendering unified the facades while respecting the Perche Sarthois identity, creating a harmonious dialogue between modern openings (large bay windows) and traditional building.

To carry out this project in an empty shell, we structured the site around a single contact: a general contractor handled the entire rehabilitation (shell, networks, finishes), under our project management via standard site monitoring. Only the joinery lot was subject to specialized external intervention.