Extension of the Francque house

About: The property known as “maison Francque” sits at the heart of “hill country”, just as you come out of a corner onto the Place de Bouvignies. This is a beautiful complex that combines, between a courtyard, a garden and an orchard, different types of structures in the form of a series of outbuildings and a very well preserved mansion. 1st LIFE. A couple of a certain age, Mr and Mrs S., occupied the mainly ground floor level. After an extremely active life, Mr S. had reached an age where he wished to devote his time to the no less demanding business of being a man of letters. In view of this, he began to regret the lack of relationship between the house and the peaceful garden, conducive to meditation. From a spatial point of view, this prompted us to insert a new and intimate living area on the courtyard and orchard side but totally open over the garden and with its own independent access. In a way, a place set aside to allow complete freedom of thought... This apparently modest challenge nevertheless called for a customised design that would continue to convey the classic sequence of brick-stone-white woodwork. Each component was therefore calibrated so that the lines and materials espoused each other in a timeless continuity yet without compromise or nostalgia. 2nd LIFE. Following unforeseeable circumstances, a change of ownership took place. The project, along the same lines, now carries another lifestyle that is decidedly casual.