Grid House

L’atelier Nomadic Architecture Studio + DEVspace

Short description

Enclosed at the back of the plot and surrounded by three blind walls, the low volume of the existing building is characterized by the singularity of its natural light access and the absence of viewpoints to the outside world. The new frame of the site is displayed in a succession of non-hierarchical spaces delimited between them by thick wooden partitions which accentuate the belonging to the introverted base of the house. These sliding walls subtly play on the light, privacy and spatial expansion of rooms while offering maximum flexibility for living spaces.

The existing concrete floor is smoothed and reinterpreted in order to propose a game of different levels to underline the new rhythm of the repeated partitions while accentuating the effect of depth and perspectives. The visual journey is displayed as a succession of framed pictorial sequences, playing on the symmetry and composition of a few meticulously arranged light objects detaching themselves from the grid.

The patio is designed in the same way than the terrace on the upper level, in order to accentuate the relation between the two floors. A red movable metal staircase plays the role of the link between the two levels. The project finally comes to create a succession of points of view and interior landscapes in constant evolution, thus counteracting the physical isolation of the initial volume.