Typology: conversion of a farmhouse into a dwelling
Location: Essertines, commune of Dardagny, GE
Owner: Private
Dossier: ESS
Phase: project
Date: 2024
In this small village in the Geneva countryside, originally a vineyard, this former farmhouse was used to house farmers and farm workers. On the ground floor, it once housed horse stalls, hay barns and storage halls. Its form, in the purest traditional Geneva typology, corresponds to local archetypes. A series of buildings align the various uses along the road axis. The village's heritage has remained virtually unchanged since the 18th century. It blends the authenticity of country life with local history.
The early twentieth-century building, a worthy representative of Geneva's rural architecture, has been preserved as far 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 replaces the hangar, so the project 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 heart. On the façade, openings are already abundant; only two will be enlarged to allow passage to the outside. We have also reinterpreted traditional architectural elements such as vaulted ceilings both on the facade, reminiscent of the large porches used by ploughs and tractors, and inside the circulation spaces, to create gentle spatial transitions. The stone walls and floors will be preserved and insulated with hemp-lime to ensure they age well, and to perpetuate the benefits of the perspirance of these materials, as well as the atmosphere of the place. This also perpetuates the authentic aesthetics of the exterior, as well as respecting the existing heritage while giving the interior character.
The use of organic and geo-sourced materials enables us to offer a high-quality working and living environment for our workers and residents.
For these apartments, we wanted to play with different spatial repertoires, based on the typologies of Geneva's rural habitat.
The great depth of rural buildings led us to create floor voids, articulating the central core, and allowing zenithal natural light into the center of the space. From there, we chose to generate a strong centrality around a large patio volume, offering a breath of fresh air at the heart of the dwelling. This openness adds a spatial dynamic, with cross-views between the different levels, reinforced by the interplay of natural light throughout the day. At the periphery of this volume are the passageways, which behind their openwork railings guarantee privacy between day and night rooms.
