Emile Zola

house // Noisy-le-Sec (93130)

A new house built at the back of a plot in Noisy-le-Sec, among gardens and suburban houses. The simple volume, finished in white lime render, steps down towards the neighbours and carries an intensive green roof – a true roof garden that retains rainwater and keeps the house cool in summer. Its 40 cm Ytong aerated-concrete walls provide both structure and insulation with no added insulation layer: a light, insulating mineral material.

Large oak windows with rounded corners open the living spaces onto the garden and bring daylight deep into the double-height rooms.

Inside, birch-plywood mezzanines on a black steel frame hold the sleeping and working areas; the stairs double as storage and the balustrades are woven with rope. Oak floors, cement tiles, granite worktops and splashbacks: simple, durable materials chosen to age well with the house.

The garden, kept and replanted with a pond, is part of the project: it frames the house and helps keep it cool in summer.