Timber
Victoria Martens
Verb: To wander/ Material: TimberInserted within the existing timber-framed barn of Saint-Martin-Choquel, this project proposes a folly that emerges from the logic of the structure already in place. Rather than imposing a foreign object, the intervention builds upon the traditional framework, becoming a structure within the structure that subtly transforms the interior experience. The project unfolds as an interior landscape of wooden platforms layered within the volume. These platforms form a sequence of small spaces, encouraging free movement, where visitors climb, bend, and move between levels, finding their own rhythm and ways to inhabit the folly. Moments of contemplation and play coexist, allowing an intuitive and constantly evolving relationship to space. The structure is built from timber sourced from the local bocage and is governed by a single joinery principle, the ‘sandwich joinery’, which ensures clarity and flexibility. The flooring is made from repurposed larch boards reclaimed from the barn’s original façade. By removing the cladding, the structural pillars are revealed, allowing natural light to penetrate the volume and create a subtly shifting play of light. This light atmosphere is further emphasized by partition walls made from woven bark, a waste material from the wood industry, They can be placed where desired across the platforms. The gaps between the strands are chosen to shape the desired ambiiance on each platform. The folly is not meant to be used, but to be experienced.