Aix-en-Provence Vineyard Building, French Residential Architecture Images, South of France Accommodation Development

Vineyard Extension in Aix-en-Provence

11 Sep 2022

Design: Mahos architectes

Location: Aix-en-Provence, France

photo © Studio Module

Photos: Studio Module & David Maurel

Vineyard Extension, southern France

The Vineyard Extension is the addition to this family home was designed for the owners, who wanted more living space and panoramic views of sunsets over the vineyard.

photo © Studio Module

The existing structure, a contemporary local-style villa, is an H-shaped house. Since its construction in 1998, the owners’ space requirements have changed. The goal of the project was to add more rooms, and to showcase the surrounding landscape.

photos © Studio Module

Site integration
The existing house overlooks vineyards dotted with training wires strung on steel stakes with a rusty patina. The contemporary structure of the addition is directly inspired by that landscape, characterized by strong vertical and horizontal lines.

photo © David Maurel

The addition’s geometry is grounded in the proportions of the house in the extension of its existing façades. The flat roof is a line of force in the landscape.

photo © Studio Module

The metal structure containing the new rooms is framed by the existing house and the load-bearing wall that braces it.

Metal and glass are intended to make the project disappear into the surrounding landscape. Moreover, the brownish-red colour coordinates with the house’s cornice and red shutters.

photos © Studio Module

Interior/exterior
A versatile, fully glassed-in living area benefits from its dual east/west orientation. A bedroom and a shower room complete the floor. The view through the windows is unaffected when the bedroom door is open. The bathroom is both well-lit and private, thanks to its frosted glass.

When the windows are wide open, the breeze wafts through, as in a hilltop cabin, and a cantilevered deck further extends the interior space. The boundary between inside and outside is thus obscured.

Music room
A basement music room was built for rehearsals and private concerts. It is accessed through the existing house, making it possible to keep the addition independent, like a small dwelling unit.

The main room is a very well-lit space, thanks to picture windows that admit abundant natural light and create a powerful link with the outdoors.

photos © David Maurel

The music room, measuring 30m2 (323 sq. ft.), was designed according to an acoustic study, and includes plywood bench seating, matching the adjacent floor. A wall of cabinets gives the room a variable geometry that absorbs sound, while also providing everyday storage space. Carpets and fabrics are also used to improve the room’s acoustics.

The tiered benches in the music room are the result of an interesting technical constraint: the foundations of the addition had to be offset from the existing façade. To avoid losing space, the architects decided to create seats that fulfill that structural requirement, while enhancing the interior space.

This versatile room can be transformed into a home theatre, bedroom, rehearsal space, recording studio, or intimate concert hall.

photo © Studio Module

Technical challenges
Coordination with the contractors and engineers throughout the design and construction phases changed and enriched the project in both its structural features and finishing work.

The project had a mixed framework, and the junctions between metal elements and masonry were handled with special care. The use of recessed joints, with U-shaped metal pieces, made it possible to forego the parge coat and highlight the normal-profile I-beams.

Rather than adding a new element to the project, the architects used the same structural modules to create downspouts, with rainwater flowing along the I-beams.

The security grates over the windows were replaced with a terracotta lattice, a very common feature in the region. This mashrabiya system mutes direct sunlight and enables continuous airflow.

photo © David Maurel

Vineyard Extension in Aix-en-Provence, France – Building Information

Architect: Mahos architectes – https://www.mahos.fr/

Masonry, rough work, plastering, painting, electrical: Promazur
Metal structure: Bernabeu ferronnerie
Roofing/weatherproofing: Histoire de toit
Plumbing: Energie PCS
Structural engineering: I2C structure

About Mahos
Mahos is an architectural studio co-founded by Lucile Maurel and Camille Hours in 2018. Both women are graduates of the Saint-Etienne school of architecture (École d’architecture nationale supérieure), and they share an optimistic and enthusiastic vision of their profession.

With great sensitivity to heritage and local history, they consider existing structures to be true project material. The studio is active in a variety of locations.

photo © Studio Module

Photos: Studio Module & David Maurel

Vineyard Extension in Aix-en-Provence images / information received 110922 from v2com newswire

Location: Aix-en-Provence, France, western Europe

New Homes in Provence

Le Pine Villa, Saint-Tropez, French Riviera, Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, southeastern France
Architects: SAOTA

photo : Adam Letch
Modern Villa in St Tropez

Dortoir Familial Ramatuelle House, Ramatuelle, Var department, Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region, southeastern France
Design: NADAAA, Architects

image courtesy of architects office
New Var Property

South of France Property Designs

Montpellier Buildings

Cité du Corps Humain – architecture competition win
Design: BIG + A+Architecture + Egis + Base + L’Echo + Celsius Environnement + CCVH

image © BIG
Museum of the Human Body Montpellier

Leonard De Vinci High School in Montpellier
Design: Hellin-Sebbag, architects

photograph : Benoit Wherlé
Leonard De Vinci High School in Montpellier

Sailing Cube – Pavilion du FAV 2014 à Montpellier
Design: Atelier Jérôme Lafond

photography © Paul KOZLOWSKI
Sailing Cube in La Grande Motte, Montpellier