House on the Breton Coast

House on the Breton Coast

© Pascal Leopold

A 145-square-meter house in Plémer-Bodu, France, designed by anArchitecte agency, is built on the site of an old granite quarry on the Breton coast. The building was created for a family couple who are starting a new chapter of their lives after their children have grown up.

Constructed on the summit of a single hill that remains from the old quarry, the structure is barely noticeable from the front, becoming an observation point hidden behind several cypress trees carefully preserved and trimmed to allow the eyes to wander around.

Concrete walls were painted black and acid-washed to give them a slightly aged appearance; large courtyards reflect the landscape, enhancing the building's integration into the environment. Glass combined with black concrete absorbs rather than reflects light, creating a desired effect of invisibility. Ultimately, the house does not draw attention and creates the impression that it dissolves into the surrounding vegetation.

The architects preserved four magnificent cypress trees that were already growing on the granite quarry site. These were pruned to form silhouettes in a Japanese style, not blocking the view. Stones extracted during excavations were also used in the landscape design. Thus, the surrounding landscape was shaped using elements present in the Breton ecosystem, including local flora. The property boundary is marked by a fence typical of the Breton coast.

Photography: Pascal Leopold