Le hangar habité
Basic information
Project Title
Full project title
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Project Description
In a suburb of Rennes, Haddock Architecture have converted a storage hall with an agricultural past into residential space for two families. Thanks to the solar roof, efficient technology and good insulation, the house requires only half as much energy as permitted by French law.
The volumes and the existing oak structure are preserved: they constitute the traces of its industrial past. The project plays on the contradiction and the complex relationship between low and high tech.
Geographical Scope
Project Region
Urban or rural issues
Physical or other transformations
EU Programme or fund
Which funds
Description of the project
Summary
First used as an agricultural shed amid the fields, then part of an industrial operation, now a double house with 215 m2 of floor space: the building converted by Haddock Architecture in the Breton town of Chantepie has served many purposes. Moreover, the building’s history shows how the community, which now numbers 10,000, changed over the decades from a village to a suburb of the Breton capital of Rennes. The owner anticipated that once he had retired, the latest repurposing would supplement his earnings. Certainly, he no longer needs the shed as workspace.
The remains of the old building include only the stable oak skeleton, the gable walls and parts of the rear masonry wall. We have completed the interior walls and the south-facing entrance façade with a wood-frame construction; the entrance of the building has been fitted with chestnut shuttering in which ceiling-high glass doors with sliding panels alternate with opaque façade areas. Compared to the old façade, the new one is set back to create a roofed-in patio in front of the house. The southern half of the roof is completely covered with Swiss-made photovoltaic modules that achieve a peak power of 11 kWp. The only parts of the roof without solar panels are those that cover the two conservatories, whose roofs of multi-skin polycarbonate material extend over the entire depth of the building. These conservatories also function as entrances to the houses and are heated only by waste-heat recovery from the ventilation systems in both dwellings. Behind the sunrooms, two sheds that have been added to the rear of the building; each one houses a 300-litre collection tank for rainwater running off the roof. In fact, the solar roof and efficient use of energy mean that the house surpasses the RT2012 French energy standards in effect at the time of building by 50 per cent.
Each half of the double house is suitable for a family of three or four; the two sides have similar, but not identical, floor plans.
Key objectives for sustainability
The remains of the old building include only the stable oak skeleton, the gable walls and parts of the rear masonry wall. We have completed the interior walls and the south-facing entrance façade with a wood-frame construction; the entrance of the building has been fitted with chestnut shuttering in which ceiling-high glass doors with sliding panels alternate with opaque façade areas. Compared to the old façade, the new one is set back to create a roofed-in patio in front of the house.
The southern half of the roof is completely covered with Swiss-made photovoltaic modules that achieve a peak power of 11 kWp. The only parts of the roof without solar panels are those that cover the two conservatories, whose roofs of multi-skin polycarbonate material extend over the entire depth of the building. These conservatories also function as entrances to the houses and are heated only by waste-heat recovery from the ventilation systems in both dwellings. Behind the sunrooms, two sheds that have been added to the rear of the building; each one houses a 300-litre collection tank for rainwater running off the roof. In fact, the solar roof and efficient use of energy mean that the house surpasses the RT2012 French energy standards in effect at the time of building by 50 per cent.
Key objectives for aesthetics and quality
The project plays on the contrast between old and new, between high tech and slow. We wanted the transformation to show traces of the past shed. The conservation of the volume, the highlighting of the oak structure contribute to this. Added to this is a photovoltaic roof which shows that rehabilitation can display high environmental performance and be aesthetic. Inside, we have sought to create spaces with different volumes and uses: double-height winter garden, cathedral lounge, mezzanine, etc.
All the rooms have strong qualities: large volume, maximized supply of natural light. It was about creating generous and pleasant spaces. In addition, the use of wood for the joinery elements (kitchen, cupboard, staircase) warms up the interior spirit of the house.
Key objectives for inclusion
The project was a collaborative work between the clients and our agency. This very long work (nearly 2 years of study) made it possible to question and build the program with the client. Indeed, unlike a classic project where the client knows what he wants, our agency guided the client towards the conversion of the shed into 2 houses. This was not the initial idea to build 3 new houses. It is therefore the qualities of the existing and the will of a project manager to be guided, which made it possible to carry out this project.
At the start of the work, we launched a participatory deconstruction site with a team of 6 people in order to reuse as much as possible the elements not kept in the final project. Finally, during the project, the 2 tenant families were able to participate in the choice of certain services: flooring, painting, details, etc. This desire to involve the tenants before their arrival in the houses is not common and has made it possible to involve them more in their house.
Results in relation to category
Our project seeks to restore meaning to a territory that too quickly razed its heritage. this heritage, even modest, is here the support for a sustainable project which seeks to create a place of collective life between 2 families.
How Citizens benefit
The project was a collaborative work between the clients and our agency. This very long work (nearly 2 years of study) made it possible to question and build the program with the client. Indeed, unlike a classic project where the client knows what he wants, our agency guided the client towards the conversion of the shed into 2 houses. This was not the initial idea to build 3 new houses. It is therefore the qualities of the existing and the will of a project manager to be guided, which made it possible to carry out this project.
Physical or other transformations
Innovative character
- Co-design with the client, make the program and check the business plan of the proposed rental model
- Construction of 2 rental houses with environmental ambitions and qualitative services (wooden interior, photovoltaic production, recovery of rainwater)
- Involvement of tenants during construction
Learning transferred to other parties
Time
This project shows the importance of study time. time needed for dialogue with the client, analyzing the context of the building, working with the city.
Do with
Since this project, we have established an intervention methodology based on the quality of the existing and thus seek what can be revealed, what can support a spatial, poetic or functional quality.
