TRA House Is A Beautiful French Abode

A Distinctive Gallic Tra-nsformation

Nestled in a quaint village in Southern France, TRA House offers the unmistakable design of a quintessentially French abode with hints of the contemporary.

Castries is a quaint little village located in southern France, nestled amid lush vineyards and pine forests and renowned for its resplendent chateaus and a gorgeous aqueduct. In the center of the village, sitting opposite a church, is an old wine barn with an adjacent house next to it. This is the TRA house, an archaic structure that is the epitome of the French countryside.

Maya Brudieux and Camille Morcrette, the founding partners of (ma!ca) architecture have taken it upon themselves to transform the old barn by refurbishing the buildings and combining its heritage style features with a contemporary twist. The two buildings were restructured with the intention to create an intimate living environment, while yet maintaining the architectural and historical tenets to generate a phenomenally distinct design.

The decision to preserve some of the more outstanding parts of the house; including the stone staircase, the cement tiles and the wooden roof framing were done deliberately to maintain the heritage and prestige, while the barn’s voluminous yet minimalist form was a perfect match for an open and fluid living area that extends and opens up to the exterior through a square patio at the rear.

Through their meticulous design, the existing space in the house is dedicated to the bedroom areas, while the old barn welcomes the everyday activities of family life. The characteristically long open barn also houses the kitchen, living room and a large dining table area which leads out to the outdoor patio and the swimming pool.

The swimming pool’s position next to the building, building up to a ‘half-pool / half-patio’ pattern, is a key focal point in the overall layout of the home. This is a vitally important element to create different moods to suit the moment; where the occupants can experience both seasonal rhythms from air and water. The water also works as a functional pivot of the overall outdoor composition, bringing together both the indoors and outdoors in connected harmony.

On the outside, the choice was made to remove part of the roof of the original barn, with an archetypal outdoor patio design that is encompassed by four walls; echoing a distinctively Mediterranean style, in full harmony with the urbanisation of the project. One of the gable stone walls of the barn was also retained as a remnant of the past, and also to maintain the building’s thermal efficiency. The limestone maintains the right humidity level throughout, especially during the hot

summer nights as well as keeping the interiors cool and comfortable. Besides the provision of a splendid microclimate around the house, the limestone wall also gives a conspicuous visual contrast with the glistening white of the plaster walls around it.

With the contemporary and traditional architectural, historical and technical elements connected as an interwoven whole, TRA house radiates a warm, friendly atmosphere, building up to the signature essence which gives the project its own unique spirit. (ma!ca) architecture’s attention to the details, as well as the commendable use of contrasting materials to firmly build the project in an unequivocally contemporary aesthetic that is rooted in heritage and history, gives the project a “tailor-made” narrative that is well suited for the space.

About (ma!ca) architecture

(ma!ca) is an architectural firm based in the south of France that adapts its methodology to the unique requirements of each project, and always builds a strong identity through explorative practices that are guided by a commitment to push creative boundaries and pays meticulous attention to every detail in a sensitive manner.

With a name inspired by a plant with therapeutic virtues, (ma!ca) is rooted firmly in the belief that architecture plays a key role in human health and has a significant effect on physical and emotional well-being, which is why their architectural designs “takes care” and improves the well-being through the use of materials, colours, light, highest craftsmanship, and as a result, made-to-measure spaces.

Maya Brudieux has lived in Rotterdam and Saint-Jean du-Gard and Camille Morcrette in Montreal and Marseille. Their work is tinted of modernity and is aiming to find a subtle balance between radicalness and surrealism.

“Each project is a new story that we want to tell: they are imprints of our journey which undeniably guides our thinking”

Maya Brudieux and Camille Morcrette