RAMBOUILLET

Located 45 minutes south-east of Paris, Rambouillet is set in a clearing between valleys and forest, in the heart of the Haute Vallée de Chevreuse Natural Park. A natural setting that shapes the atmosphere of this discreet town, where heritage, architecture and landscape interact without excess.

The town’s history dates back to the 11th century, around a seigniorial castle and a parish church. The ancient layout can still be seen in today’s town: a human-sized center, structured around historic axes and buildings with simple, solid lines.

The Château de Rambouillet, long a royal and then presidential residence, marks the heart of the town. On its outskirts, the park and forest create a permanent breathing space, accessible on foot or by bike.

Rambouillet’s town planning blends middle-class houses, 1930s pavilions, resort architecture and contemporary buildings. Today, the town attracts people looking for a peaceful lifestyle close to nature.

A complete renovation carried out by ARCHIK and the architect Baptiste Legué (ABL) in a house from the beginning of the century, near Paris.

Target

To give back to this doll’s house where small volumes and numerous rooms follow one another, a more contemporary functionality by decompartmentalizing the spaces and revitalizing their layout.

Course of action

Expand the house to offer three distinct spaces: living area, master suite and children’s area, all on two levels, and focus on the outdoors with an extension of the living area facing the garden, opening onto a shaded terrace.

Achievement

Natural materials were used as the main thread of the renovation: Okoumé wood for the custom-made woodwork, natural and pink travertine in the bathroom and kitchen. The pink and beige tones of the whole project create an enveloping and soft atmosphere.

On the first floor, the staircase is moved and becomes an integrated element that creates a bench for the dining room. The open kitchen with island is the nerve center of this first level and is adorned with pink travertine. The day and night areas have been separated and Okoumé wood panels, some of which serve as doors and others as storage, mark this distinction. The master suite has a bathroom entirely made of travertine with a custom-made double sink.

Upstairs, two attic bedrooms each offer built-in storage and an office area. The relocated hopper allows the creation of a pleasant shower room with window, as well as an independent toilet. Two rooms in total look terracotta.

A family cocoon, warm and bucolic, turned towards the outside.

L'ARCHITECTE LA MAISON ROSE

Crédits photosAgathe Tissier
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Before …

Sous une hauteur de plus de 5 mètres, cette pièce déploie ses volumes tout en courbes. Son parquet en hêtre, ses colonnes, sa bibliothèque sur mesure en pitchpin et sa mezzanine reprenant les codes d’une coque de bateau et donnent le la de cette belle partition architecturale. Baignée de lumière grâce à sa grande ouverture en forme de voile, elle ouvre sur le jardin intimiste et confortable, à la façon d’un jardin secret au calme absolu qui ne demande qu’à être investi. En retrait de l’espace de vie, s’aperçoit la vaste cuisine / salle à manger et un espace buanderie éclairés par la lumière du sol en verre du premier niveau.

Enfin, aux deux niveaux supérieurs se trouvent les espaces nuits avec cinq belles chambres dont une parentale, ponctuées par endroits de courbes et dont certaines se parent d’incrustations vitrées allégoriques comme signature de cette maison-bateau. Elles se partagent deux salles de bain et une salle d’eau.

Une œuvre architecturale hors norme à proximité de la vie parisienne.

Jacques-Émile Lecaron

Né à Paris en 1939, Jacques‑Émile Lecaron est un architecte français formé à l’École spéciale d’architecture, puis à Harvard, où il obtient un master en urbanisme. Influencé par des figures comme Frank Lloyd Wright, Buckminster Fuller ou Bruce Goff, il développe une approche originale mêlant architecture, poésie et imagination.

Installé à Clamart depuis les années 1970, il y conçoit une série de maisons singulières – telles que la Maison d’acier, l’Arche de Noé ou la Maison de la Belle au bois dormant – dont les formes colorées et narratives traduisent les rêves et les personnalités de leurs habitants. Il réalise aussi des aménagements urbains et œuvres publiques, en lien étroit avec leur environnement.

Lecaron se distingue par une architecture expressive, presque onirique, qui refuse les normes pour mieux raconter des histoires. À travers ses créations, il propose une autre manière d’habiter : plus libre, plus intime, et profondément humaine.

archik-immobilier-paris-achat-vente-AP395-lecaron-1

SAINT-DENIS

Located 10 km north of Paris, the city of Saint-Denis, cosmopolitan and multicultural, has experienced several waves of development and continues its transformation today.

First famous for its basilica, emblem of the city, the historic center has several monuments of remarkable architecture. It also houses the Parc de la Légion-d’Honneur, adored by families and inhabitants of the district, but also the largest market in Île-de-France, a veritable institution and witness to the territory’s trading past.

Crossed by the Seine which offers picturesque landscapes along its banks, the Saint-Denis canal has gradually become a place for strolling and relaxation. Appreciated by its inhabitants, Saint-Denis embodies the main character of the eponymous song by the artist Grand Corps Malade, an ode to “the great lady”.

The city has also experienced contemporary architectural developments, in particular with the construction of the Stade de France around which a brand new district has been built combining housing, shops, restaurants and a cinema. With the future Saint-Denis – Pleyel station, whose inauguration is scheduled for 2024, Saint-Denis is preparing to become a real centrality in northern Paris.

COLOMBES

Located in the North-West of Paris after Asnières-sur-Seine and Bois-Colombes, the city of Colombes is the largest residential city in the inner suburbs of Paris.

Particularly well served by public transport, Colombes is the eleventh municipality of Île-de-France and the fourth municipality of Hauts-de-Seine. The historic heart is crossed by rue Saint-Denis, pedestrianized and lined with many shops. Its territory is rich in an industrial past and a particularly varied architectural heritage with mansions, beautiful bourgeois residences, 19th century holiday villas, residential housing estates or even beautiful architecture from the 1930s such as the former Hôtel des Postes by François Le Cœur in 1928.
The town benefits from several attractive green spaces such as the Pierre Lagravère park located on the banks of the Seine. The cultural and sporting offer is not to be outdone thanks to the Avant-Seine theater whose program delights young and old and the Yves-Du-Manoir sports complex, famous for having hosted the Summer Olympics in 1924 and soon, the field hockey events during the 2024 Olympic Games.

A destination of choice for families looking for a more spacious place to live.