STUDIO ANDREW TODD
Maison Jacques Copeau
Pioneering early modern theatre director Jacques Copeau left Paris soon after successfully opening the Théâtre du Vieux Colombier to experiment with working in the rural context of central Burgundy near Beaune. Based in an 18th-century house in the village of Pernand-Vergelesses, his company operated for the rest of his life in villages and vineyards. In the last 40 years the house has become an important residency for the theatre world, hosting an annual conference and short stays for writers, directors and actors.
We were invited to submit a scheme for the renovation of the house and attendant annexes, including an office designed by Paul Chemetov. Our scheme proposed to look further into the future with an extendable capacity, using wood building techniques including modular prefabrication. A new kitchen in a vacuum-glazed greenhouse occupied a central position as a new collective amenity. The house was minimally restored for thermal performance, keeping its ghosts intact. The more comprehensive intervention in the rear courtyard (including a new building) allowed the addition of a disabled elevator and access to the house’s atmospheric attic as a major new space.
Team:
Studio Andrew Todd, architects
Andrew Todd
Maurits van der Staay
Andrew Tetrault
Eckersley O’Callaghan, Structural Engineers
INEX, MEP and sustainability engineers
BMF, Cost Consultants
LIRIO, Landscape Architects