A Simple Summer House Captures the Magic of the French Countryside

Seeking a country escape, a Parisian couple commissioned architect Alphonse Sarthout of Ciguë to design a summer house in Saint-SarthoutSarthoutJulien Le Petit, a small town five hours south of the French capital. Working together, the clients and the firm drew inspiration from California’s case study homes to design a residence that would rest lightly upon the lush landscape.

In a departure from the town’s traditional stone dwellings, Ciguë used Douglas fir from the surrounding forests to craft the two-bedroom home. A spacious, south-facing living room and kitchen overlooks the valley below via large windows that fill the interior with light. The firm employed basic bioclimatic principles to heat and cool the space—for instance, openings to the east and west are strategically placed to capture cross breezes.

The home is elevated above a field by a unique steel foundation that can be completely dismantled without leaving a trace. "That was really the idea—that in 50 years, if they want to move, they can take the house with them," says Sarthout.  

The clients’ limited budget also informed the design. "The budget was not big with this house, so we had to be pragmatic," says the architect. "That's why it has a pretty cubic shape. Not touching the ground was also a way to save on groundwork."

The home’s approachable design gives it a sense of humility in this commune of the Haute Vienne. "We were looking for a kind of connection that was really light," says Sarthout. "It’s not meant to last forever—at some point, it may disappear or become something else."

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Project Credits:

Architect of Record: Ciguë / @_cigue

Builder/General Contractor: Ambiance Bois

Foundations: Technopieux

Drywall: Sebastien Valen

Cabinets: Vincent Crinière

Electrical: Paul Gerbaud

Plumbing: C-Dispo