Architects: Java Architecture
Area: 100 m²
Year: 2018
Photographs: CaroLine Dethier
Manufacturers: Batipin, Bricodepot, Fourcade Chartpente, Lenouy, Pyrennees Bois
Commune: Soorts-Hossegor
Country: France
Une Maison pour Surfer, designed by Java Architecture, evolved from a vacation house for a young Parisian couple into a full-time family home after the birth of their first child, reflecting their lifestyle focused on surfing and outdoor living. Located on a hilly forest site, the house uses prefabricated modules to minimize environmental impact and construction time. Clad in dark wood that echoes the vertical rhythm of surrounding pine trees, the home features an open porch protected by corrugated polycarbonate. Originally a budget-saving element, the porch has become the central gathering space, connecting the family with nature.
This family home embodies a lifestyle. Initially, a young Parisian couple approached JAVA to design a vacation house. However, during the design process, they welcomed their first child, prompting a shift in their goals. The project evolved from a weekend retreat into a full-time family home that aligns with their new lifestyle centered around surfing and outdoor living.
With these new goals in mind, the house needed to be built on a reduced budget and completed within a year, making budget and timeline the primary requirements for the project.
Based on these requirements, JAVA designed the project to minimize both the construction time and the house’s footprint on the site.
Situated on hilly forest terrain, the construction process—and the house itself—was designed to have minimal impact on the natural surroundings.
As a result, the house was built using prefabricated modules and positioned at the top of the hill, allowing the preservation of all the large trees on the site.
From the ground floor of the house, the canopy is fully visible and can be appreciated. The house is clad in dark wood that echoes the vertical rhythm of the surrounding pine trees, and the structure transitions from a dense volume into an open porch, sheltered from rain and wind by corrugated polycarbonate cladding.
The porch, reminiscent of the traditional airail of a Landes farmhouse, opens up the living space and connects family life to the outdoors.
Initially conceived as a budget-saving feature, the porch has become the main gathering space of the home, where the family enjoys spending time together.
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Project Location
Address: Soorts-Hossegor, 40150, Landes, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France
Location is for general reference and may represent a city or country, not necessarily a precise address.
