Type: conversion of a rural property into housing
Location: Essertines, municipality of Dardagny, GE
Client: Private
File: ESS
Phase: project
Date: 2024
In this small village, originally a wine-growing community in the Geneva countryside, this former farmhouse was used to house farmers and agricultural workers. It formerly included horse stalls, haylofts, and storage halls on the ground floor. Its shape, in the purest traditional Geneva style, corresponds to local archetypes. There are several buildings aligned along the road, each serving a different purpose. The village has remained virtually unchanged since the 18th century. It combines the authenticity of country life with local history.
The early 20th-century building is a fine example of Geneva's rural architecture and is being preserved as much as possible so as not to disrupt the appearance of the protected village setting, but also so as not to waste raw materials unnecessarily. The proposed extension to replace the shed is intended to be an extension of the existing building, following the same architectural logic, so as to blend in with the whole and preserve the homogeneity of the village center. There are already plenty of openings in the façade, only two of which will be enlarged to allow access to the outside. The openings in the extension will follow the same design as the existing building. We have also reinterpreted traditional architectural elements such as the vaulted ceiling on the façade, reminiscent of the large porches for plows and tractors, but also inside the circulation spaces to create smooth spatial transitions. The stone walls and floors will be preserved and insulated with hemp-lime to ensure they age well, allowing the benefits of these materials' breathability to be preserved, as well as the atmosphere of the place.
This also allows us to preserve the authentic exterior aesthetics and respect the existing heritage, while giving the interior character. The use of organic and geo-sourced materials enables us to provide a high-quality working environment for workers and living environment for residents.
For these apartments, we wanted to play with different spatial repertoires, based on the typologies of rural housing in Geneva.
The great depth of rural buildings led us to create floor voids, articulating the central core and allowing natural light to enter from above into the center of the space. From there, we chose to create a strong centrality around a large patio area, providing breathing space at the heart of the dwelling. This opening adds a spatial dynamic, with views between the different levels, enhanced by the play of natural light throughout the day. Circulation areas are grafted onto the periphery of this volume, which, behind their openwork railings, ensure privacy between day and night rooms.
