Integral Wood
####"L 'Atelier Martel" a young parisian architect agency created by Stephane Cachat, Marc Chassin, and Laurent Noël, gives us a chance to understand how much an architectural project, no mater its size, can play a strategic role in the development of a given territory.The starting point is a smart encounter between Laurent Noël and a house and chalet builder in the mountain and wood region of the Vosges (France),not the kind, while being a good engineer and entrepreneur, to risk himself out of the traditional local style.Between a desire for environmental innovation and honest environmental reflection, a trademark of "L'Atelier Martel", it’s the project of building a country cottage in Liézey that made them collaborate. In order to limit the consumption of energy as well as of concrete, two strong lobbies in France, and to deal intelligently with local traditions, the technical and aesthetic bias is the one of a wooden house, near perfect in term of environment. The Canadian well ensures a constant inside temperature of 14°c that will be fully completed by an economic heating system. Rain’s water gets optimum recycling.On a aesthetic viewpoint, economy and simplicity prevail with the desire to stick to the local tradition of low budget architecture, but also a certain radicalism that avoids all decorum and delivers straight edges as well as a solid volume.While accelerating the modernity of the construction, the structure in polyhedron stands as a subtle reconciliation between Southern orientation’s defenders (traditional model with light optimization) vs optimisation paralléle à la ligne de courbe,(functionalist model since the 1950's).Contemporary Luxury.Just as the traditional chalet must have a solidly anchored concrete bottom floor to compensate for a hilly landscape, the desire to limit the use of this energy consuming material, motivates the adjustment of volume on the ground level. Which contributes to the originality of the construction. There again the constraint of the environment, the geographical context as much as the ecological, offer the occasion for esthetic and technical innovation. A bit de-structured in half levels, but perfectly matching the surface volume the windows seem to be giving us a discreet wink and at the same time preserving the unity of the volume. Isn't it for us an invitation to walk in when the ambiance is so pleasant ?! The full wood interior is confusingly warm in such a harsh climate.Sober and elegant like the exterior, the room arrangement balances common space and the privacy of the rooms. Indispensable to the well being of the hosts and the visitors who came to look for a protected area to contemplated nature in silence.Then isn't it the contemporary luxury the over-busy city dweller is looking for, to disconnect, slow down the rhythm and reconnect with the pulse of nature, wood and forest, in a space of modern design stylized and comfortable.At the opposite of an old fashion and dusty cottage in a mountain region not the most attractive, the work of " L' Atelier Martel " in Liézey opens a breach and the possibility to renew the local tourism offer, slightly old fashioned. Territorial strategy.So, rather then seeing this architectural project like an isolated case and maybe anecdotic to the eyes of those who are only interested by flashy architecture of the Guggenheim-Bilbao type or Louvre Abu Dhabi, lets imagine it as being the start of an ambitious territorial strategy, respectful of a local heritage. From that exemplary prototype an entire chain of development and valuable creation can be imagined on the model of the valley of Voralberg, in Austria. Thru the years it became the area in Europe with the highest density in contemporary architecture. Visited and highly commented by the international community!By encouraging collaboration between architects and proactive designer as well as talented local contractors looking to innovate and better their know how, its an entire economic fabric and professional environment who tends to modernize.If the region multiplies these types of architectural projects, it is, on top, the cultural and tourism potential that gets a boost.As well as the timber industry, so presented in the Vosges region. The French forests are little if not exploited, and construction wood is often imported from Siberia or Scandinavia. If construction patterns using wood intensify in this region of eastern France, their are good chances it will allow to stimulate the local wood industry...Rational ecology.From an architectural bias centered on the use of wood for the construction of an isolated house in the Vosges, here comes suddenly the possibility to integrate and unify under one future bound sensitive and inspiring vision, various professional, cultural, and political groups to often in opposition.L Atelier Martel rightly uses the terminology "rational ecology" to signify the fact that a profound and creative exchange between local partners opens the door to dialogue, exchange, and complicity between all the players. Initiating a dynamicof territorial development, authentic and organic. Environment’s poetic.Echoing the exciting program of ecology research and aesthetics commitment conducted by the laboratory LADYSS 5a consortium of international universities) it’s a process that accompanies each of the project of the Parisian agency. Who likes to ventures in remote places in France and abroad. More then a question of legal and technical standards, their approach reminds us that a poetic and aesthetic interaction with the environment is maybe the best way to deal with its incertitude and complexity.On a more theoretical vu-point we can also think the aesthetic approach of environment and as a way to reconnect what is called "the intangible heritage" or, again, "the intellectual capital" with the aspects and tangible expressions of our social and natural ecosystem.For the past fifteen years, we talk more and more of development (economic, cultural, and social) based on the immaterial, which is characterized notably by politics of "Villes de la Connaissance ". It is based on the cultural and intellectual wealth of a territory, the universities, artistic and scientist talents (cf."La Classe Créative", R. Florida) to create value. By finding inspiration in books like Les Trois Ecologies, by Felix Guattari (Paris, Galilée, 1989) the challenge is to be able to reinvent an organic vision of the human wealth, included its most metaphysical and ethereal thoughts and projects.
