Project: Guesthouse | Location: Loire Valley | Budget: Undisclosed | Amenities: Guest House, Swimming Pool | Phase: Post-Planning
This project involves the extensive renovation and extension of a mid-20th Century house in the Loire Valley, currently in poor condition. The property’s vineyard lies within the Vins du Thouarsais IGP (Indication Géographique Protégée) and produces a Loire Valley IGP in collaboration with a local co-operative. The project links the client’s existing property, Carlowrie Castle near Edinburgh, to this Loire Valley winery; the Castle having been first commissioned by a Scottish wine merchant Thomas Hutchison, with historical links to the French wine trade. The project will provide a honeymoon location for couples who have married at the Castle in Scotland, with the wine produced here being exported back to the Castle in Edinburgh.
The architectural project provides a secluded dwelling, surrounded by several acres of vineyard, with en-suite bedrooms, a swimming pool, raised terraces, an outdoor bar and dining area, an a sun-screened outdoor dining area adjacent to the swimming pool, arranged as a courtyard for privacy and to frame key views across the vineyard. Traditional techniques and stonemasonry are employed alongside significant increases in thermal and energy performance, improving the sustainability and efficiency of the building.