Nestled within a pine forest in Soulac-sur-Mer, not far from Bordeaux in the west of France, sits this elegant timber home. Designed by Paris based architect Nicolas Dahan, the house is a 250 sq m family retreat, created as a ‘space to live and move within the pine forest’, explains Dahan.
With that in mind, the architect set out to compose a space that is in constant dialogue with its natural surroundings. Large openings and floor-to-ceiling glass expanses allow for wide views out towards the trees, merging seamlessly indoors and outdoors when windows are open and the living room transforms into a covered terrace.
The structure was built using advanced timber engineering techniques to allow for purity in the material’s use and a unified design approach everywhere, from ceilings to floors and from main living spaces to smaller rooms.
Working with nature did not just include the pine and oak trees immediately surrounding the house. ‘The ocean, though not visible, is so close that the sound of the surf rhythms the day. Nature runs through the bedrooms and the living room. The house is built where the air flows,’ says Dahan.
Okoume wood flooring and larch ceiling beams line the interior, two distinct features that are highlighted especially in the large, open plan living space that occupies about half of the house’s footprint. Five bedrooms and three bedrooms are placed in the volume’s other end, tucked away behind smooth wood panels.
‘The main inspiration for the space stems from the single-story American villa, and the floor and the ceiling require engineering skills developed by John Lautner’s vision for open architecture,’ says the architect, who also credits the use of light found in Brazilian villas as another key influence in his design. §
