A Rundown House in Toulouse Becomes a World of Possibility for Gabrielle Vinson.

A rundown family home in Toulouse gets a contemporary update by Gabrielle Vinson, as the architect balanced preservation with practicality in a home that embraces its legacy. Despite its worn facade, Gabrielle played to the properties’ strength, adding a structure made of beams and hollow-core slabs to optimise the generous five-metre-wide space and allow for seamless open-plan possibilities. Bespoke furniture was introduced alongside a conscientious effort to reuse existing materials, turning the 147-square-metre space into a clever and comfortable home.

On the ground floor, the garage and veranda have been demolished and the interior space reduced, giving way to a lush and green garden. A spacious sliding glass door establishes a seamless connection between the living area and the verdant outdoors, infusing the space with natural light and connecting the two spaces. On the street side, a new glass block wall is set back from the facade, forming a protective buffer from the outside and providing a space to park the family bikes.

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Gabrielle preserved existing materials wherever feasible. The ground floor’s varied floor tiles are carefully retained and occasionally repositioned to accommodate utility lines. Wall partitions transform, filled with concrete and polished to reveal the imprints of old partitions, preserving the narrative of the house’s evolution. Upstairs, the roof receives external insulation, new openings emerge, and the space is left open, allowing the house the potential to evolve once again.

By keeping the original layout and its subsequent alterations visible, a tangible connection between past and present was formed.

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[Images courtesy of Gabrielle Vinson Architecte.]