The brief
An 18th-century bastide brought back without erasing it — new work reads as new, old work reads as old, and neither apologises.
Site area
1.2 ha
Built area
520 m²
Levels
3
Structure
Existing rubble stone, consolidated
Envelope
Lime render, original where sound
Certification
Monument Historique consent
The constraint
Structural survey found the north wall was 40% void behind the render. Heritage consent forbade demolition.
What we did
Grout injection in 2,400 hand-drilled ports, stainless helical ties, and a hidden ring beam at first-floor level.
The result
Original façade retained in full. Load capacity restored to 1.6× the code requirement.
What we found
The structural survey was worse than the brief assumed. Behind sound-looking render, the north wall was 40% void — rubble fill that had migrated over two centuries. Heritage consent ruled out taking it down and rebuilding.
What we did
Two thousand four hundred ports were hand-drilled and grout-injected in sequence, working from the base up so each lift cured before the next was loaded. Stainless helical ties stitch the leaves together and a concealed ring beam at first-floor level closes the structure.
2,400 hand-drilled injection ports
Concealed ring beam, no external expression
Capacity restored to 1.6× code requirement
The brief
An 18th-century bastide brought back without erasing it — new work reads as new, old work reads as old, and neither apologises.
Site area
1.2 ha
Built area
520 m²
Levels
3
Structure
Existing rubble stone, consolidated
Envelope
Lime render, original where sound
Certification
Monument Historique consent
The constraint
Structural survey found the north wall was 40% void behind the render. Heritage consent forbade demolition.
What we did
Grout injection in 2,400 hand-drilled ports, stainless helical ties, and a hidden ring beam at first-floor level.
The result
Original façade retained in full. Load capacity restored to 1.6× the code requirement.
What we found
The structural survey was worse than the brief assumed. Behind sound-looking render, the north wall was 40% void — rubble fill that had migrated over two centuries. Heritage consent ruled out taking it down and rebuilding.
What we did
Two thousand four hundred ports were hand-drilled and grout-injected in sequence, working from the base up so each lift cured before the next was loaded. Stainless helical ties stitch the leaves together and a concealed ring beam at first-floor level closes the structure.
2,400 hand-drilled injection ports
Concealed ring beam, no external expression
Capacity restored to 1.6× code requirement