Project: Forest House / Old Tool Shed Recycled
Architects: JCPCDR architecture
Location: France
Year 2019
Photography: Maxime Leyvastre
The Forest House was conceived for a music composer who recently moved in a beautiful family house in the countryside. His wish was to turn the old tool shed in an intimate, isolated and independent space, where he could work and relax, for a limited budget.
Equipped with all necessary amenities, (electricity, wooden stove, outdoor shower, dry toilets…), with a target of 100% ecological materials, the project was allocated a total budget of 10 000€.
This was achieved thanks to a very simple and artful structure design, and careful choice of materials. Glass and wood works often represent a significant cost in any project. In our case, glass panels and steel were taken from the remains of a destroyed factory, wood was chosen among scraps from the nearest sawmill. Proximity of the suppliers was crucial in minimising costs as well as carbon footprint, all the parts were then cut and assembled on site.
This space, though small in size, was conceived to give a sense of quiet, and intimacy with the surrounding nature. Whether you are standing, sitting or even laying down on the convertible sofa, canopies are designed to frame various perspectives on the vegetable garden, the beautiful 1940’s house, the centennial oak… and even the stars at night. Light flows from one side of the house to the other, and the ambiance transforms throughout the day and the seasons. For the more adventurous, and a closer look at the stars, the flat rooftop can be climbed on.
