MA (House of Bees) / Extra Medium

MA (House of Bees) / Extra Medium - Exterior Photography, Windows
© Simone Bossi

MA (House of Bees) / Extra Medium - Interior Photography, StairsMA (House of Bees) / Extra Medium - Exterior Photography, WindowsMA (House of Bees) / Extra Medium - Interior Photography, Living Room, Table, Chair, WindowsMA (House of Bees) / Extra Medium - Exterior Photography, Windows, BrickMA (House of Bees) / Extra Medium - More Images+ 20

  • Architects: Extra Medium
  • Area Area of this architecture project Area:  140
  • Year Completion year of this architecture project Year:  2019
  • Photographs
    Photographs:Simone Bossi
  • Lead Architect: Timothee Mercier
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MA (House of Bees) / Extra Medium - Exterior Photography, Windows, Facade
© Simone Bossi

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
© Simone Bossi

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
© Simone Bossi
MA (House of Bees) / Extra Medium - Interior Photography, Kitchen, Countertop, Sink
© Simone Bossi

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
© Simone Bossi

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
© Simone Bossi

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Cite: "MA (House of Bees) / Extra Medium" 06 May 2020. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/938861/ma-house-of-bees-extra-medium> ISSN 0719-8884

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