Étang
Between Belfort and Mulhouse, on the plateau at the foot of the Vogesen Mountains, lies the small village of Romagny-sous-Rougemont. At its western edge, surrounded by forests, the Margrabant watercourse was once dammed for fish farming, creating countless ponds. Today, numerous fish ponds throughout the area shape the landscape and testify to the Vosges' abundance of water. Leaving the village, one reaches a depression and arrives at the bodies of water that lie peacefully and contemplatively between the trees, evoking a sense of tranquility for viewers onlookers. At the southeastern ponds stood a fisherman's cottage from the second half of the 20th century. On its base, a new wooden structure was built, consisting of a compact main house and a smaller attached storage and utility room. Facing the village, the base stands out in its grey, rough appearance between the meadow and the wood. Facing the waters, it disappears into the ground due to the terrain dictated by the upper pond's dam. Most of the time, the building stands as an apparent shed at the edge of the pond and is occasionally brought to life as a vacation home for a Basel family. Then, the movable elements of the larch wood facade open, transforming the stereometric body into a playfully variable house. Upon closer inspection, one can see louvered shutters of different sizes on all four sides. Sometimes, they are shutters in front of windows, while on the pond side, they are full-height shutters. When the house is occupied, the building's appearance changes, the shutters are open, and the
view is free to the ponds and forests. On the long side facing the water, there is a buffer zone in the form of a narrow covered terrace that invites one to linger outdoors, both in the open and closed state. There is one of two doors, the other of which leads directly to a terrace over the pond on the northwest side. The architectural dichotomy happens as soon as one crosses the threshold from outdoor space to indoor space, there is a change in the color, type, and processing of the wood. While the dark-stained larch wood on the exterior refers to the rural character of the place, the interior radiates a contrasting world of a
protected refuge with its bright, smooth spruce (walls) and larch (floors). A spacious living kitchen, a bedroom with an attached bathroom, and a sleeping niche accessible from the main room via a ladder are all contained within this compact space. Adaptability also plays a significant role in the interior. Space- saving, finely crafted sliding elements not only function as sliding doors but also as cupboards. Large sliding windows allow the space to expand from the inside towards the terrace, while a double-door enables direct access to the pond terrace. The omnipresent wood surfaces with their dark appearances
create a distinctive contrast. The open or closed windows and shutters create visual arrangements that turn the view into a game of seeing and experiencing. A building, which essentially, derives its tension and charisma through its variability. It is in constant juxtaposition in “concealment" and „discovery“ with its surroundings.
Right where the house stands. The water flows from one pond into the one below it. A constant splashing breaks the silence, but with the duration of the stay, it becomes a steady background noise that contributes essential elements to the relaxation at this location.
