Compact Stone Conversions

The Figuier House by Bétyle Studio is the renovation of a former 1820 agricultural outbuilding in Marseille into a 45-square-metre compact residence that functions as both a workspace and a private retreat. To preserve the original limestone rubble walls, which had no windows and were structurally sensitive, the designers avoided cutting new openings in the exterior. Instead, they inserted a central “architectural core” of timber and glass set back from the existing masonry to define zones for the office, bedroom and circulation without altering the historic shell.

The interior is characterised by deep-red stained okoumé wood and warm brown stoneware tiles that reference local terracotta tones. Sandblasted glass bricks placed high along the edges of the central structure diffuse soft daylight throughout the interior and, at night, create a lantern-like glow while maintaining privacy.

Every element within the home is bespoke, with custom furniture, architectural hardware and lighting made specifically for the project. Many details subtly honour the building’s agricultural past, such as a stainless-steel vanity inspired by old livestock troughs and repurposed farm hooks reused as wall pegs.

Image Credit: Mathilde Hiley