- Project: Le Costil House Renovation
- Architect: Anatomies d'Architecture
- Location: France, Normandy
- Year: 2022
- Area: 83 m2
- Photography: Olivier Sabatier
A House Reborn Through Local Craft and Ecological Integrity
Nestled in the rural landscape of Normandy, Le Costil House Renovation by Anatomies d’Architecture redefines what it means to build responsibly in the 21st century. The project is a radical ecological experiment—0 % concrete, 0 % plastic, 100 % natural materials—crafted entirely from resources found within a 100-kilometer radius.
The renovation of this modest 83 m² traditional brick longère house demonstrates that sustainability and architectural poetry can coexist. Every decision—from the structural frame to the final finish—was guided by the desire to reconnect the dwelling with its territory, climate, and culture.
Concept & Ecological Vision
At the core of the project lies a fundamental question: How can we build homes that truly belong to their place?
To answer this, the architects rejected all industrial materials and methods, instead seeking to revive ancestral craftsmanship and local production chains. The result is not merely a renovation but a manifesto—a built argument for the re-localization of architecture in the age of the Anthropocene.
By exploring natural and circular resources, Anatomies d’Architecture transformed Le Costil into a living example of territorial ecology, where architecture is both materially and culturally embedded in its landscape.
Materials & Construction Techniques
Every component of Le Costil tells a story of resourcefulness and respect for the land:
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Structure & Framing: Timber beams crafted from locally sourced oak and chestnut.
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Insulation: Walls filled with hemp fiber, providing thermal comfort and humidity regulation.
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Finishes: Raw-earth coatings applied by hand, revealing a natural, tactile aesthetic.
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Foundations: Formed from locust-tree trunks instead of concrete footings.
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Floors: Built from reused window frames and reclaimed wood, re-imagining waste as resource.
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Exterior: Historic bricks were carefully cleaned and reused to maintain the original façade.
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Cork aggregate and natural lime mortars complete the ecological palette.
Each element minimizes embodied energy and supports local economies, proving that high-performance architecture can arise from short supply chains and collective know-how.
Process & Collaborative Craft
This two-year construction process became an act of community building. Architects, farmers, foresters, sawmills, quarrymen, masons, historians, and apprentices joined forces to revive vernacular techniques that had nearly disappeared.
Their shared effort reinstates the human dimension of building—an architecture of patience, dialogue, and solidarity. Every joint, every texture in Le Costil bears the mark of manual labor and regional memory.
Performance & Environmental Impact
The absence of synthetic or industrial materials grants Le Costil exceptional bioclimatic performance:
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Walls breathe naturally, regulating interior humidity.
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Low-carbon timber and earth drastically cut embodied CO₂.
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Hemp insulation provides year-round thermal stability.
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Reused materials eliminate waste and reduce transport emissions.
By aligning architectural design with local biodiversity and resource cycles, the project offers a scalable model for regenerative architecture—one that heals rather than exploits.
A Manifesto for Local Architecture
Le Costil House Renovation stands as both a home and a philosophy. It reminds us that the future of sustainable building lies not in imported technologies but in re-embracing proximity, craftsmanship, and landscape intelligence.
For Anatomies d’Architecture, this is not nostalgia—it’s a path toward architectural autonomy, where each project becomes a dialogue between tradition and innovation, human and environment.
With Le Costil House Renovation, Anatomies d’Architecture delivers a powerful statement on ecological ethics in architecture. This modest home in Normandy becomes a prototype for a future where materials, makers, and places are once again intertwined.
Through radical simplicity and deep localism, the project celebrates the beauty of low-tech construction and the resilience of the craftspeople who make it possible.
