51MAR
This project is a reflection on how a residential area of detached houses can be densified.
The new house is located in a garden, beside an older villa, occupied by another family. No attempt was made to extend the pre-existing house; instead, the building is more like a garden design, as a continuous fence that delineates a courtyard on its lower level and becomes a facade on its upper level.
This arrangement defines a path that leads from the street to the entrance on the upper level, while the bedrooms are aligned around the intimate courtyard.
The part of the construction which is sunk into the ground is made of reinforced concrete. Its structure above ground has a wooden skeleton.
The facade covering and the fence are made of burnt wood boards. This technique, inspired by the Japanese “shou-sugi-ban”, protects wood from rotting.
