Modal Architecture turned an old Breton barn located in Sizun, France, into a modern artist studio. In order to adapt it to new uses, the barn was totally cleared from what remained from its previous functions. More than a simple artist studio, this small building is now a place of meetings and a passageway. It’s also a place of curiosity for the inhabitants of the surroundings in search of inspiration for their own houses.
According to their own experience and observations on the local architectural context, architects proposed a double-faced project : it was turned into the inside as the houses of the region, but they also wanted to create a place where heat and expressivity would bright to the outside. The glass window was opened towards the west, creating a new view to the garden and allowings soft light to get in from afternoon until twilight. To refurbish the inside part a concrete floor had to be made. It was completed by the sealing of air gaps and the insolation of the walls by throwning lime and finally new water and electricity networks. After the timberframes being strengthened, a coat of insulating material has been set. It really allows to create a shell inside of the building. On the outside, they preferred to conserve local architectural identity. In order to keep the dialogue settled for centuries with buildings around, walls in stones of schist were conserved. The new glass window was opened by local craftsmen. Windows and doors frames were painted in anthracite colour and were hidden in the thickness of the heavy stones walls. In contrast to the rough dark stone of the facades, the inside is smooth and completely painted in white. It has been conceived as a real refuge for brightness.
