Dornob | Design Ideas Daily

Pastoral Pavilion: Eco-Friendly Retreat Meets Regional Style

Posted: 17 Dec 2012 10:00 AM PST

Green is great in theory, but few projects manage to blend both an environmental mission with an elegant-yet-relevant aesthetic as well as this modest ecological project by Studio 1984.

Set in rural Alsace, France, the architecture references local traditions and vernaculars with its visible wood framing, simple metal roof and straw-based exterior, but balances these with a minimalism of detail and modern-scale fenestration built to purpose.

The result is recognizably contemporary while also being respectful of context and history. Images of the area show what drove the inspiration, but the creative ways original tropes are transformed in the new structure as well.

From the firm: “Enhancement of local economic fabric also contributes in making this experience a model of sustainable, responsible and ecological development. Through this project, we have tried to bring our contribution to reflections based on architectural quality. In a project approach that we want the most comprehensive possible, we have experienced a locally relevant and suitable for development response.”