16th Century Fortified Farm renovation, Nesles, France

Program: Renovation of a complex with a 350 sqm house, a 450 sqm hayloft and a historical garden.
Status: completed in 2005

After the French revolution, part of a fortified grange that connected with a Château built in the 1600s was sold to a local farmer (while the Chateau was disassembled and sold, by parts, as building material). The grange was subsequently sold to the composer Ch. Gounod, who restored it as part of his country-house.
The intervention consists of a restoration of the late 19th century renovation, a restoration of the parts of the original 1600s building – with special care given to the original finishes of the walls and floors – and a full preservation of the originally grange (hayloft), fully intact, to house temporary art installations.