La Folie Phase 1 - La Cabane de Chantier

A little barn in the French Pyrenees. The client is a writer who wants a place to work, an escape from London.

The cabane reworks what was once the play area for a school built in 1852 and begins a project to restore the building following a destructive fire that consumed all but the stone walls.

The design introduces a set of very thin metal insertions that fulfil the requirement for storage, access and protection: a staircase, hanging rails and hand rails. A glass wall on the south façade of the building gives spectacular views to the uninhabited south side of the valley, providing a sense of isolation.

The cabane allows the owner to live at the property whilst plans are made to restore the larger ruine next to the cabane.

Drawings:

Tiny Stair:

Construction

Fabricating the handrail

Delivering the staircase, made in a south London railway arch