Japanese Architecture Meets Modern Beach Home In The MOT.22 On The French Coast

Named MOT.22, this stunning home in southwestern France’s coastal enclave of Cap Ferret is designed by French studio MARDI. The wooden cabin is tucked away in a narrow strip of land, surrounded by the lush green shores of the Arcachon Basin. It perfectly portrays the harmonious relationship between traditional craftsmanship and contemporary design. MARDI and a young carpenter teamed up to create the serene dwelling since it is intended to be a cabin in maritime pine wood with an exposed timber frame.

Designer: MARDI

The architecture studio drew inspiration from the traditional oyster hut and the ancient timber frame structures found in Japan. MARDI mixed and matched the two to create the traditional exposed frame and the maritime pine wood built for the cabin. They wanted to incorporate a design process that tweaks and upgrades the conventions, while also respectfully celebrating them. Maxime Donnat, a lead architect on the project said, “We wanted to revisit this subject, also drawing inspiration from some traditional Japanese architectures with a well-marked facade.”

The dwelling features an eye-catching and fascinating front facade. The facade faces the street and exposes the essence of the building and its unique timber construction. In fact, the entrance is located at the rear of the building, which in turn creates a spacious covered porch that highlights the exposed structure above. Another interesting feature of the home is that it is raised on stilts. This provides protection since it is located in a flood-prone location.

As you enter the home, you notice it is defined by a structural framework. The framework was carefully planned and laid, allowing each room in the home to be distinctly defined and highlighted – including the living room, kitchen, staircase, and bathrooms for each room. The interiors of the home are marked by exposed timber. In fact, the wooden structure becomes the focal point of the interior, maintaining a sense of cohesiveness throughout all the rooms. However, the studio incorporated colorful shower interiors, to provide a contrast to the maritime pine palette. Architect Yoan Jallerat said, “Each shower is composed of a checkerboard floor and a solid earthenware color with zellige tiles.”