On the coast of Brittany, architects Lucie Niney and Thibault Marca of Paris-based NeM Architectes discovered "a vacation home frozen in time." The challenge was to add a bedroom without sacrificing any of the quaint atmosphere. The solution? They designed a mirror image—an even tinier replica—and connected the two buildings with a small walkway.
To create a mirror image effect, the architects wanted to complement the existing white cottage with a dark addition. (Black is a color often seen on the foggy Brittany coast, where nearby oyster huts are frequently coated with a black paint described as a tar.) But instead of painting the cottage black, Niney and Marca decided to burn it.
Photography courtesy of NeM Architectes.
Above: Old and new. The two cottages are joined by a walkway clad in charred Douglas fir.
Before
Above: Working with a budget of $45,000 and a mandate to add a bedroom to the vacation cottage, the architects decided to build a second peaked structure alongside the house.
Above: During a recent trip to Japan, the architects had become interested in the Japanese charred-wood technique of shou sugi ban. Charring wood makes it weather- and mold-resistant, a benefit near the sea.
Above: The architects' plan called for a freestanding charred-wood cottage connected by a walkway to the existing house.
Above: The new cottage is clad in charred Douglas fir.
After
Above: The two cottages share a terrace.
Above: The bedroom in the new cottage has floor-to-ceiling doors instead of a wall, to connect it to the backyard.
Above: Connected by a covered walkway to the existing house, the new cottage is a mini replica of the old.
Above: From the road, the new charred wood cottage is reminiscent of the dark-stained facades of nearby oyster huts.
For more about shou sugi ban, see Torched Lumber, and read Gardenista's posts:- Hardscaping 101: Charred Wood Siding
- Architect Visit: A Teahouse, Charred and Blackened (on Purpose)
- Outbuilding of the Week: A Stylish Swedish Outhouse
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