![MA (House of Bees) / Extra Medium - Exterior Photography, Windows](https://images.adsttc.com/media/images/5eb0/d012/b357/65d8/fd00/01dc/medium_jpg/TIM_1012.jpg?1588645888)
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Architects: Extra Medium
- Area: 140 m²
- Year: 2019
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Photographs:Simone Bossi
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Lead Architect: Timothee Mercier
![MA (House of Bees) / Extra Medium - Exterior Photography, Windows, Facade](https://images.adsttc.com/media/images/5eb0/d098/b357/6566/6000/0390/newsletter/TIM_1018.jpg?1588646031)
Text description provided by the architects. My family bought land in South of France’s Vaucluse department in the early 2000s. At the time, a small farmhouse sitting in the forest nearby had been weathering away for more than a decade. It stood on its hill, fading comfortably into the landscape. What was left had a strong posture despite its lack of foundations.
![MA (House of Bees) / Extra Medium - Exterior Photography, Windows](https://images.adsttc.com/media/images/5eb0/d05b/b357/65d8/fd00/01dd/medium_jpg/TIM_1014.jpg?1588645962)
When my parents approached me to rebuild it, we were sitting within eye-sight of the dilapidated structure. It was still soft in its ruinous state, a reminder of the qualities of its surroundings. We had spoken about the project before but the timing had not been right. That summer, and throughout the two years that followed, I worked to bring it back to life – infusing it with the monastic qualities that make this valley so special.
![MA (House of Bees) / Extra Medium - Interior Photography, Living Room, Table, Chair, Windows](https://images.adsttc.com/media/images/5eb0/cb93/b357/6566/6000/037c/medium_jpg/TIM_1004.jpg?1588644737)
![MA (House of Bees) / Extra Medium - Interior Photography, Kitchen, Countertop, Sink](https://images.adsttc.com/media/images/5eb0/d07f/b357/6566/6000/038f/newsletter/TIM_1016.jpg?1588646006)
Respectful of the aesthetic constraints and wishes of the clients the house was designed to be a intimate refuge buried in the hills – one that would respect the site and the architectural history of the region. The existing structure was carefully dismembered in phases.
![MA (House of Bees) / Extra Medium - Interior Photography, Stairs](https://images.adsttc.com/media/images/5eb0/ca17/b357/6566/6000/0379/medium_jpg/TIM_1001.jpg?1588644357)
The footprint and envelope were revised but stayed very much in keeping with the proportions of the old farmhouse. More than a simple reconstruction, this house was imagined as a renewal, emphasizing the house’s quirks and lending voice to careful craftsmanship.
![MA (House of Bees) / Extra Medium - Interior Photography, Table, Chair, Windows, Beam](https://images.adsttc.com/media/images/5eb0/ced3/b357/6566/6000/0387/medium_jpg/TIM_1007.jpg?1588645570)