Description
A minimalist house in the heart of the Perche region.
Born out of a desire to combine comfort and simplicity, this holiday home for 4 people goes straight to the essentials. Completed in 2010, it is the work of Beckmann N’Thépé Architectes.
With a floor area of 67 m², this house has a double-height living area comprising a lounge with fireplace opening onto a 50 m² terrace, a dining room and an open-plan kitchen. The sleeping area comprises a bedroom on the ground floor, a children’s bedroom on the mezzanine and a shower room with walk-in shower. The pure white interior contrasts with the exterior.
A beautifully wooded garden of approx. 5660 m² surrounds the house and offers a peaceful view of the surrounding area. It includes a vegetable garden and a play area with swing, tree house and sandpit.
Close to the magnificent Bellême national forest, the house enjoys a privileged setting and absolute peace and quiet, just 30 minutes by car from Alençon, 1 hour from Le Mans and 2 hours from Paris.
A high-performance object house
The architects’ guiding principle was to take a quality approach to the project in terms of materials and energy performance. Each face of the cube is pierced by a single bay, framed in white and judiciously oriented. The roof also has two zenithal openings to maximise the amount of light. The façades are clad in black-stained wood, which accentuates the appearance of a house-object set in the heart of the verdant landscape.
Beckmann N’Thépé Architectes was founded by Françoise N’Thépé and Aldric Beckmann in Paris in 2002, the year they won the Albums de la Jeune Architecture.
Backed by a team of around ten people, they work on both public contracts and private projects. They focus on the history of the site, both in their urban planning projects and in their scenography, new buildings and renovations.
In 2013 and 2015, two of their projects, including this town house, were successively selected for their architectural qualities by the Archinovo Prize, the leading architecture prize dedicated to single-family homes in France.
