Alors Studio

Nestled within the rugged terrain of Ardèche, France, Payz House by Alors Studio redefines the relationship between architecture and its natural surroundings. Originally built in 2007 as a seasonal retreat, the residence was conceived as a series of three separate structures, connected only by exterior pathways. Its design responded to a transient lifestyle, allowing inhabitants to move between the units while immersed in the surrounding landscape of olive trees, aromatic plants, and dry stone walls.

The recent expansion, however, shifts the home’s purpose from a temporary getaway to a more permanent dwelling. Alors Studio's intervention introduces a thoughtful reconfiguration that enhances both the house’s functionality and its engagement with the site. A new corridor now links two of the original structures, integrating additional living spaces, including two bedrooms, a bathroom, and a reading nook. This passageway transforms the house’s circulation, creating a seamless yet subtle connection between its distinct volumes.

Materiality plays a defining role in the project's architectural language. The house’s original concrete facades, inspired by the region’s dry stone walls, establish a sense of permanence within the landscape. The extension continues this dialogue but shifts its focus inward. While the earlier structures embrace panoramic views of the terrain through expansive glass openings, the new addition fosters introspection, framing previously overlooked corners of the property, such as hidden terraces and aged stone walls.

Inside, built-in wooden benches placed beneath windows offer serene spaces for contemplation. The interplay between raw concrete and warm wood textures fosters a tactile harmony, balancing industrial robustness with a welcoming atmosphere. Brown sheer curtains filter sunlight, adding subtle warmth to the otherwise neutral palette of concrete, stone, and wood.

The new entrance serves as both a threshold and a statement. Marked by a bold steel door and a circular concrete element, it announces the home’s evolution while maintaining its understated presence within the landscape. A cantilevered concrete slab extends outward, providing shelter and reinforcing the house’s architectural rhythm.

By bridging modernity with vernacular references, Payz House achieves a delicate equilibrium. It neither imposes itself on the landscape nor retreats into obscurity. Instead, Alors Studio has crafted a residence that simultaneously reflects and reinterprets its surroundings, offering a timeless meditation on habitation and place.

Below, the architectural plans and sections illustrate the spatial organization and design details that define Payz House. These drawings reveal the interplay between volumes, the thoughtful transitions between spaces, and the material relationships that ground the house in its environment.