Studio Razavi adds circular conversation pit to coastal French home

A circular conversation pit sits at the heart of Seaside House, the renovation of a 1930s coastal cabin near Bordeaux by Studio Razavi.

Studio Razavi updating the 1930s cabin, which is nestled among pine trees at the tip of the Cap Ferret headland on the Atlantic coast, for contemporary living.

Driven by the idea of creating an uninterrupted flow through the centre of Seaside House, the studio removed all of the cabin’s central partition walls to create a single, open living space, which opens out onto a decked terrace at either side.

“The local lifestyle revolves around constantly moving in and out of houses, which led us to opt for a centrally sunken living room that creates a circulation flow all around,” project architects Guillen Berniolles and Michele Sacchi told Dezeen.

“All existing partitions were demolished, leaving the building’s envelope untouched so a circle – the living room – could be placed at the centre of the house, surrounded by bedrooms,” they continued.

“Sinking the living area was important so it would be clearly delineated without interrupting views across the building, from one facade to the other.”

Around the edge of this circular conversation pit, a low wall integrates elements that support the surrounding dining and kitchen areas, including a sink and storage units.

A pale concrete floor, white walls and oak carpentry bring a light, airy feel to the central space, while to the north a gently curved section of wall follows the curve of the central seating area.

The three en-suite bedrooms on either side of Seaside House’s living area feature similar finishes, with windows overlooking the home’s terrace and skylights in the bathrooms.

“Because everything is built directly on sand, floors are poured-in-place concrete to avoid joints and simplify maintenance,” explained Berniolles and Sacchi.

“Most furniture pieces are solid wood or veneer, directly referencing this region, home to France’s largest forest and Europe’s largest man-made forest,” they added.

To the west of the main cabin, a smaller guest bedroom annexe is housed in a new, standalone volume clad in dark timber to blend with the surrounding tree trunks.

Studio Razavi was founded by architect Alireza Razavi and has offices in London, Paris and New York.

Previous projects by the studio include the renovation of an apartment in a historic Lyon neighbourhood, and a Spanish tapas bar and restaurant in New York informed by a market in Barcelona.

The photography is by Simone Bossi.

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