Face to Face house – France
House U is located in an urban plot in Laval, France, placed within the middle of the plot surrounded by lush lawn and perimeter trees. Designed by Atelier 56S, the house is built on a rectangular base inside which is extruded a rectangular space, giving to the house a sort of large exterior room open to the sky, protected from winds and vis-à-vis. The living room widely opens to the south and north, while the more intimate programs (bedrooms, bathroom, garage, laundry room) develop on the eastern and western limits.
The swimming pool, the central terrace, the living room, the covered terraces to the south form a large continuous common space accessible from each part of the house. This plan seeks to create a multiple and hybrid place where the boundaries between interior and exterior are blurred.
The structural elements made of a wooden framework are set on a solid base made of concrete. The black oiled wood siding that covers all of the walls and the exterior loggias contrasts and highlights the green of the natural landscape. The insulation of the house is made of natural and ecological materials: cellulose wadding insufflated into the wooden structure, wood fibre for the exterior, and wood wool for the interior.