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Les villages nature

77174 Villeneuve-le-Comte, Seine-et-Marne,France.
2018

This innovative concept translates a reconnection with nature into an architectural language.
It allows for the experience, wherever one is, of the regenerative presence of nature, the warm atmosphere of natural materials, and the variety of views to the landscape. All of this is translated into spacious living areas that open onto terraces and balconies with magnificent views. There is a permeating presence of nature that is perceived from every window of the cottages and apartments. This presence of nature is also experienced with the exterior of the structures where the architecture of the residences, the majority of which are of wooden construction, are scattered among the trees, shrubbery, climbing plants, and vegetation of all kinds. Nature and structure are interlaced to form a cohesive entity.

VILLAGES NATURE HANGING GARDENS

The drawings of suspended balconies are inspired by the structure of trees: trunk, branches, and foliage. A beam and struts support every balcony, with a converted guardrail to encourage vegetation. They are the natural extension of the living area towards the exterior, all feature a variety of forms and offer exceptional sprawling views on the whole of the lake and its outlying park.
Attached to the vegetal facades, these suspended balconies give the whole promenade of the lake a mystical atmosphere of verdant hills punctuated with structures of wood and vegetation.

VILLAGES NATURE COTTAGES

Designed with particular attention to environmental quality, the cottages, primarily made of wood, are built in existing forests, or along the meandering banks of the lake.
Grouped in clusters of 3 to 7 cottages, their architecture is derived from a reflection on the integration of manmade structures within the local environment, and a differentiation between the three distinct domains of habitation: Nature, Clan, and “Bulle”.

Center Parc Les hauts de Bruyères

41600 Chaumont-sur-Tharonne, Loire-et-Cher, France
2008

The forest of the Hauts de Bruyères domain is an architecture in itself. In this context, the architect must integrate as respectfully as possible the new cottages into this « natural architecture » so as to preserve the beauty of the environment. Therefore, we have designed simple and practical houses – avoiding hallways and complicated circulation – and we have used wood as the primary material, especially for the facades. We have created a space in harmony with the surrounding landscape by using large bay windows for the public living spaces.

The living area (living-room, dining area and kitchen) is an open and welcoming space where one can spend quality family time. It is a space that extends to the forest thanks to a wood terrace leading directly to the peace of the forest.
The living room glazing units employ metal hardware, and designed with artists’ studios in mind, receive a maximum of natural light while providing a generous viewing angle from the ground to the crown of the trees. A wood stove adds to the design of the living room. It is located close to the windows, allowing the inhabitants to enjoy the view as well as the warmth of a fire. As for the bedrooms, they are treated as protected spaces where one can easily retreat from the rest of the house. However, all the bedrooms have large windows so as to maintain contact with the outdoors when desired.
The roofs are occasionally curved, which produces a variety of forms from one cottage to the next, both inside and outside.

Center Parcs Bois Francs

27130 Verneuil-sur-Avre, Eure, France
2005

The cottages that are currently present in the two ?Center Parcs de France? are coated concrete bungalows with roof terraces. Pierre et Vacances has asked us to entirely rethink this concept, which dates from the seventies. The goal was to create an architecture sympathetic to the forest environment. The basic module, a square, is offered in three variations of 51.60 M2 and 64 m2 with an second level. Access is provided laterally via the living/kitchen area, an airy room with a fireplace separated from the wood terrace by large glass panels.

The bedrooms and bathrooms are located at the back of the house, and privacy is provided via the use of narrow windows. The two main materials used for the project are wood for the facades and zinc for the roofing. This new « hamlet » includes 200 houses, organized in clusters among landscaped clearings designed by the landscape architect Thierry Huau and organized like a “promenade normande” with oak trees, rhododendrons, mirror pools, beech trees and topiaries. It is an extension to the 800 existing cottages on a surface of more than 16 hectares organized in such a way that each house has a view from the living-room that spans over at least 30 m without any obstacles.