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Ferme HI-Bride, a new boutique hotel by Patrick El Ouarghi, Philippe Chapelet and Matali Crasset, has been completed in France’s southern Luberon region.
A panoramic Kebony Dually Modified wood terrace crowns the project. The raw and authentic appearance of the decking, its durability over time, and its low carbon footprint were all criteria that guided the choice of architect and designer Crasset. The bucolic retreat was a former farmhouse with a 12th Century watchtower.
Between heritage and modernity, this new guesthouse project, focused on agritourism, spans twenty hectares of olive groves, vineyards, and forest, and includes a vast vegetable garden. The Norwegian eco-friendly wood brand Kebony was specified as decking for several terraces, including one with a panoramic view built on the roof of the farmhouse.
“We chose Kebony wood for several reasons, including durability and sustainability,” Crasset said. “We also appreciated the substantial thickness of the planks, their large size, and their subtle knots. It's a wood with a low carbon footprint, and it stands out for its raw, authentic, and characterful look.”
Architect and designer Matali Crasset renovated the historic building with a distinctive contemporary approach. The goal was to create elegant, bright guesthouses with bathrooms offering breathtaking views, while blending the old and the modern. The architect preserved some of the original floors, beams, and materials, which now feature new furniture and concrete floors. Raw concrete openings now redefine the facades. A magnificent living room and a convivial kitchen complete the amenities.
Including the rooftop, the building features several terraces, designed as places for living, relaxing, and contemplating the fascinating surroundings. For one of them, the Kebony wood planks are laid in sequence on an orange painted steel structure, which is left exposed.
About Kebony
Headquartered in Norway, Kebony is one of the world’s most exciting technology companies, producing the most sustainable and long-lasting alternative to hardwood globally and helping the world reduce its CO2 emissions.
The Kebony technology permanently transforms sustainable softwoods such as pine into dually modified wood—with features that are comparable, and in some cases superior, to those of precious tropical hardwoods. The company’s patent-protected production processes yield products that deliver major improvements in durability and dimensional stability, and at the same time remaining naturally beautiful.
Used predominantly for cladding and decking, Kebony products are used for a multitude of outdoor applications and design projects in over 100 countries around the world, as the need for sustainable alternatives in construction intensifies and sustainable wood becomes the new normal.
