Site Specific: Manor House, Charente-Maritime
Collet Muller Architectes - Charente-Maritime, France, 2026
The website of Paris-based Collet Muller Architects states simply that they “strive to address the various scales of architecture without restraint or any preconceived hierarchy” and this project in south-west France serves to illustrate that approach well. Poised somewhere between the scale of a settlement and a more intimate domestic scale, a sequence of interventions reconfigures a dilapidated series of buildings, preparing them for a new life. The moves made here by Collet Muller display a strong sense of confidence, as well as a sensitivity towards the building’s existing fabric.
The new interventions dodge around the existing elements; sometimes as counterpoints, sometimes as amplifications of what’s already there; a new tiled bathroom in the attic reads as an oversized piece of furniture, loose amidst the timber roof structure, while new joinery reinforces the symmetry of the central gathering spaces on the ground floor.
The chief motif of the project is perhaps the new structural support for the building’s original, but fragile, central staircase; a blue-painted timber armature that sits within the void at the centre of the house and threads its way from the ground floor up to the newly refurbished attic spaces. Both sculptural and utilitarian this intervention ties together the building, making a new whole from disparate parts.
CMA This former seigneurial residence has a history dating back to the 17th century. Once owned by a succession of noble and prominent families from the Saint-Jean-d’Angély region, the estate reached its zenith before falling into gradual abandonment following the French Revolution. The current structures date from 1688 and are notable for the simplicity of their architecture.
As it stands, the complex comprises a courtyard and a rear garden. Rising above the rest of the composition is a symmetrical, three-story structure, which we refer to as "the house." The remaining outbuildings - consisting of one or two levels - are arranged around the courtyard and, in total, these structures encompass an area of 1,500 square meters.
The initial brief was open-ended: to restructure the complex into a living space capable of accommodating one or more families and their friends - a true family home. The possibilities were vast, yet the condition of the buildings varied significantly, and the budget was limited given the sheer scale of the structures.
The extent of the site and the constraints of the budget made a complete restoration unfeasible; tough choices had to be made. Should elements be added, repaired, revealed, or left to decay? The deterioration of certain roof frameworks was inevitable; the collapse of some walls was, in fact, preferable; and achieving perfect form was simply beyond reach. The notion of a "finished" building was, therefore, unattainable - and all the better for it.
How, then, does one conceive of the "unfinished"? Here, interventions such as grafting, erasure, structural propping and the new additions, serve as mechanisms with which to reveal the intrinsic characteristics of the space. Together, these elements help define the contours of a form which is open to modification and one capable of embracing uncertainty, without losing its own identity - quite the contrary.
The interventions are numerous and consistently bold. They serve both as markers of a specific moment in time and as connecting points between immediate needs and future developments. Four doorways, positioned at the corners of the house’s lower level, delineate the footprint of the original structure and map out potential paths for future extensions. Pending the construction of a new kitchen, one of these openings conceals a pantry.
Each intervention also highlights the existing structure through contrast, encouraging an acceptance of its inherent flaws - such as a drafty door or a staircase with an excessive lean - thereby ensuring its continued presence. Rather than restoring or replacing, the approach is to complement what is already there.
Color plays a role in mending the space, bringing the depths and heights of the original building into focus. It extends a narrative already in place - evoking, for instance, a red front door or the blue underside of a staircase. In the surrounding region, the shutters are also blue.