Tiny glass and stone extension includes grass roof and terraced gardens

Architect: ELLENA MEHL ELLENAMEHL LNAMEL architectes From the architect: The house is located on the French Riviera, at the very end of a small road, in an old hamlet built around a local spring. Built on the side of a hill, the landscape follows horizontal lines, formed by terraced gardens and stone walls (also known as ‘restanques’ in the south of France). Although built less than 40 years ago, the main house is typical of provincial houses: rectangular, compact, and symmetrical with a stone framed entrance at the centre, and small windows and terracotta tiles. The extension is set within the existing terraced planes, between the main house and the stone walls. The main level is connected at half level to the house using reshaped existing stairs. With wild grass covering the terraced roof, the addition merges in completely with the existing walls. The house extension consists of 3 intersecting planes: glass, stone and grass. Glass reveals the surrounding landscape, with grass on the roof garden and stones resembling the existing terraced walls. To achieve this minimal design, the architects used plain 10 mm sheet steel to join the 3 planes vertically and horizontally. Inside the main room, the concrete roof is curved to follow the level lines and the slope. The extension consists of: A complete basement, connected to the main house kitchen with 2 cellars, boiler and solar heating room.A master bedroom facing the landscape, a dressing room and bathroom looking out over the terraces. The main façade consists of a double glazed wall with 10 mm toughened glass on the outside and standard glazing walls on the inside with a roller blind in between. Openings are on both glazed walls. The thermal summer comfort, though exposed to the south, is optimal throughout the year, thanks to the double glazed wall and the half buried nature of the house.

Story by: Trends