The project responds to a desire for two families to live together in a village house on the edge of fields in Saint-Géry. The existing house is divided in two. A timber-framed extension is added to one ‘half-house’ and a rear annex is renovated in the other. The existing rooms are duplicated, while seeking maximum synergy in certain common areas. The removal of the main staircase creates a large common hall. This hall organizes the entrances to the two dwellings from the middle of the house, allowing the most beautiful rooms to enjoy the light from the front and rear facades. The front facade thus remains unchanged. The rooms are arranged in a row, creating an intermediate space in the center. The staircases are installed in the rear room and provide generous access between the floors. The rear rooms open widely onto the courtyard, which leads to a large shared garden.
In both cases, the staircase leads to a mezzanine overlooking the living room. The mezzanine serves as a landing for the more private areas upstairs, a link to the living room, and a multipurpose space for playing or reading. The bathroom and a large bedroom occupy the rest of the floor. Two new staircases then provide access to the attic. They act as an acoustic buffer between the two halves of the house. In the attic, a long landing under the sloping roof distributes two to four bedrooms for the children.
The rear extension is timber-framed. A wooden curtain wall opens up the house to the south-facing view and light. This curtain wall characterizes the building as a single unit, like the front façade, while the shape of the roof emphasizes the duality of the two housing units.